


How To Trim Your Dragon (HTTYD)

by Ashton210



Series: RWBY STYLE [22]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), RWBY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 20,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashton210/pseuds/Ashton210
Summary: HTTYD But RWBY Characters.Was going to have this as a watching another world story but couldn't thing of how they would react to it.Jaune is Hiccup, Sun is Tuffnut, Nora is Ruffnut, John is Stoick (Jaune's Father (Couldn't find out if he has a real name)), Ozpin as Goober, Ren is Fishlegs, Cardin is Snotlout, Pyrrha is Astrid.
Series: RWBY STYLE [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751530
Kudos: 1





	1. 1

_We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting straight out of the water._

JAUNE: (V.O.)

This is Berk. It's twelve days North of hopeless, and a few degrees South of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery.

_The image drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small village nestled on an outcropping of seamounts._

JAUNE: (V.O.)

My village. In a word, sturdy. And it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new.

_The image drifts closer, circling._

JAUNE: (V.O.)

We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests.

You see, most places have mice or mosquitos. We have...

_Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is snatched._

_CUT TO: INT. JOHN:'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS_

_A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward it, BLASTING FIRE._

_The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots through the slats of wood, illuminating JAUNE:, a gangly teenage Viking._

JAUNE: ...dragons.

_EXT. JOHN:'S HOUSE He reopens the sizzling door, leaps off the front porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour out of the buildings, ready for a fight. More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling off sheep._

JAUNE: (V.O.)

Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings.

We have stubbornness issues.

_Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into the streets, axes in hand._

_ON JAUNE: darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making his way through the battle._

JAUNE: (V.O.)

My name's Jaune. Great name, I know. But it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls.

Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.

_Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an explosion, knocking Jaune to the ground._

VIKING (FIERCE) Arggghhhhh! (cheery, insane) Mornin'!

Jaune gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic men and women.

JAUNE: (V.O.) Meet the neighbors. Hoark the Haggard...

HOARK What are you doing out!?

JAUNE: ... BurntHair the Broad...

BURNTHAIR Get inside!

JAUNE: ... Phlegma the Fierce...

PHLEGMA THE FIERCE Get back inside!

JAUNE:. Ack. _He passes a silent ox of a Viking, picking his ear_.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yep, just Ack.

_Enter JOHN:, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Jaune from the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd._

JOHN: Jaune!?

JOHN:(accusingly; to the crowd) What is he doing out again?!

(TO JAUNE:) What are you doing out?! Get inside!

_The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard. He sets Jaune down and turns to the sky, searching._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (IN AWE) That's John the Vast. Chief of the tribe.

They say that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders.

Do I believe it?

_John grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the strafing dragon out of the sky._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) Yes I do.

_An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. John stands firm, brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder._

JOHN: (barking; to his men) What have we got?

VIKING #1 Gronkles. Nadders.Zipplebacks.Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare. JOHN: Any Night Furies?

VIKING #1 None so far.

JOHN: (RELIEVED) Good.

VIKING Hoist the torches!

_Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types._

_Below, Jaune crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open building with a tall chimney._

_INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs appendage._

OZPIN: Ah! Nice of you to join the party. I thought you'd been carried off.

_Jaune dons a leather apron and starts to put away Ozpin's scattered appendages._

JAUNE: Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all this.

_Jaune strikes a bodybuilder pose._

OZPIN: They need toothpicks, don't they?

_Jaune gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements._

JAUNE: (V.O.) The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Ozpin.

I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler.

_EXT. VILLAGE- JOHN: We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults. Armed men rushed past, flanking others who carried sheep to safety. John follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire._

JAUNE: (V.O.) See? Old village. Lots and lots of new houses.

VIKING- FIRE! _In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza - four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels._

_From it, they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among them is a cute, energetic Viking girl. Jaune leans out of the stall to watch her._

JAUNE: (V.O.) Oh and that's Ren,Cardin,The twins Nora and Sun, And... (DREAMY) Pyrrha.

_A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and heroic._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) Their job is so much cooler.

_Jaune tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by Ozpin and hoisted back inside._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (PLEADING) Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I need to make my mark.

OZPIN: Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places.

JAUNE: Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date.

OZPIN: You can't lift a hammer.

You can't swing an axe...

_Ozpin grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope)._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) ... you can't even throw one of these.

_A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Ozpin's hand, hurling it at a dive-bombing Gronckle. The bola binds its legs, sending it into a heavy crash._

JAUNE: (ready with the answer) Okay fine, but...

_He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) ... this will throw it for me.

_Jaune OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up, equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola, narrowly missing Ozpin... and taking out a Viking at the counter._

VIKING Arggh!

OZPIN: See, now this right here is what I'm talking about!

JAUNE: Mild calibration issue.

OZPIN: Jaune. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all...

_Ozpin gestures in Jaune's general direction._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) ... this.

JAUNE: (ASTONISHED) But... you just pointed to all of me

OZPIN: Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you.

JAUNE: (THREATENING) Ohhhh...

OZPIN: (MIMICKING) Ohhhhh, yes.

JAUNE: You, sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw...Vikingness contained. (BEAT) There will be consequences!

_Ozpin tosses him a sword._

OZPIN: I'll take my chances.

OZPIN: Sword. Sharpen. Now.

_Jaune takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding wheel. He stews... fantasizing..._

JAUNE: (V.O.) One day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon is everything around here.

_EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly vacant house._

JAUNE: (V.O.) A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed.

_The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and walls apart. Sheep pour out and scatter._

_Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of fish and fly off like loaded pelicans._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend.

_A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop, breathing gas into a chimney._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) A Zippleback? Exotic, exciting. Two heads, twice the status.

_A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM! The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping together to reveal a single body._

_It flies past John as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT TOWER._

CATAPULT OPERATOR They found the sheep!

JOHN: (FRUSTRATED) Concentrate fire over the lower bank!

CATAPULT OPERATOR Fire! _Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders... just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of the catapult with sticky fire._

JAUNE: (V.O.) And then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those.

They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.

_It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a leering, toothy grin._

JOHN: Reload! I'll take care of this. _John takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer._

_Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The catapult crew ducks._

_INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - JAUNE:, looking up from his work, reacts to the same sound._

JAUNE: (V.O.) But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen. We call it the-

VIKING Night Fury! Get down!

_Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS._

_EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes flight. John looks skyward_.

JOHN: JUMP! _KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery shell... sending John and the crew leaping for their lives._

JAUNE: (V.O.) This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and... _the sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) ...never misses.

(BEAT) No one has ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first.

_In the stall, Ozpin trades his hammer for an axe._

OZPIN: Man the fort, Jaune, they need me out there!

_Ozpin pauses. Turns with a threatening glare._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean.

_Ozpin charges into the fray, HOLLERING. ON JAUNE:, a smirk crosses his face._

_EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER WHAM! Jaune pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as his legs can carry him._

VIKING #6 (O.S.) Jaune, where are you going!

VIKING #7 Come back here!

JAUNE: I know. Be right back!

_ON THE PLAIN BELOW The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close in, ready to spring upon them._

_John suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The surprised Nadders are caught._

_John and his men rush in._

_A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. John leaps onto it, clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws shut._

JOHN: Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them.

_ON THE PLAIN ABOVE Jaune reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers, unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption._

_He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on a gimbal head toward the dark sky._

_He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final strike, completely camouflaged in the night._

JAUNE: (TO HIMSELF) Come on. Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at. _KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the dragon for a split second. Jaune pulls the trigger. KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by a WHACK and a SCREECH._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (surprised, then elated) Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?

_Jaune's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Except for you.

_ON JOHN:, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a familiar HOLLER and looks up to see..._

_JAUNE: running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the NIGHTMARE fast on his heels._

_Alarmed, John abandons the Nadders and runs off._

JOHN: (to his men, re: the NADDERS) DO NOT let them escape!

_IN THE PLAZA Vikings scatter as Jaune dodges a near fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto buildings, setting them alight._

_Jaune ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all around him. Jaune peers around the smoldering post. No sign of the Nightmare._

_He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape. It takes a deep breath. Jaune is finished._

_Suddenly, John LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only coughs up smoke._

JOHN: (CONT'D) You're all out. _He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, John turns to Jaune._

JAUNE: (V.O.) Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know... _The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several sheep in tow._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Sorry, dad.

_EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches. The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won. The murmuring crowd eyes John, awaiting his response._

JAUNE: (SHEEPISH) Okay, but I hit a Night Fury. _John grabs Jaune by the back scruff of his collar and hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment_.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) It's not like the last few times, Dad. I mean I really actually hit it. You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it-

JOHN: -STOP! Just...stop. He releases Jaune _. Everyone goes silent, staring expectantly._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed! _Jaune looks around. All eyes are upon him._

JAUNE: Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't ya think? _A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously, looking down at their beer-bellies._

JOHN: This isn't a joke, Jaune! (EXASPERATED) Why can't you follow the simplest orders?

JAUNE: I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad.

JOHN: You are many things, Jaune. But a dragon killer is not one of them.

_Jaune looks around to see many nods of agreement._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Get back to the house.

(TO OZPIN:) Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up. _John lumbers off in the opposite direction. Ozpin leads Jaune through the walk of shame. They pass the teen fire brigade as they snicker._

SUN: Quite the performance.

CARDIN: I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!

JAUNE: Thank you, thank you. I was trying, so... _Jaune avoids Pyrrha's glare and heads up toward a large house, standing prominently on the hill above the others._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) I really did hit one.

OZPIN: Sure, Jaune.

JAUNE: He never listens.

OZPIN: Well, it runs in the family.

JAUNE: And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich.

(MIMICKING JOHN:) Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here. This is a talking fish bone.

OZPIN: You're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like. It's what's inside that he can't stand.

JAUNE: Thank you, for summing that up. _They reach the doorway._

OZPIN: Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not. _Jaune SIGHS heavily._

JAUNE: I just want to be one of you guys. _Ozpin eyes him sympathetically. Jaune turns and goes through the front door... and straight out the back door. He hurries off into the woods, determined._


	2. 2

INT. GREAT HALL - DAY _A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to... JOHN:, glowering in the firelight, surrounded by his men._

JOHN: Either we finish them or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave.

They'll find another home.

_He sinks his blade into a... LARGE NAUTICAL MAP, spread out on the table... the blade pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with painted sea monsters and dragons._

JOHN: (CONT'D) (DECIDEDLY) One more search. Before the ice sets in.

VIKING Those ships never come back.

JOHN: (MATTER-OF-FACT) We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard. Now who's with me? _John throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowds shifts in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes averted._

VIKING (FEEBLE) Today's not good for me.

VIKING (CONT'D) (EQUALLY FEEBLE) I've gotta do my axe returns.

JOHN: Alright. Those who stay will look after Jaune.

_Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic murmurs of prep and packing fill the room._

PHLEGMA THE FIERCE To the ships!

SPITELOUT I'm with you John!

JOHN: (DRY) That's more like it. _The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Ozpin and John alone. Ozpin gulps back the contents of his tankard attachment and scrapes back the bench._

OZPIN: I'll pack my undies.

JOHN: No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.

OZPIN: Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Jaune can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself...what could possibly go wrong?

_John sinks onto the bench beside Ozpin, his brow burdened._

JOHN: What am I going to do with him Ozpin?

OZPIN: Put him in training with the others.

JOHN: No, I'm serious.

OZPIN: So am I. _John turns to him, glaring._

JOHN: He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage.

OZPIN: Oh, you don't know that.

JOHN: I do know that, actually.

OZPIN: No, you don't.

JOHN: No, actually I do.

OZPIN: No you don't!

JOHN: Listen! You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been...different. He doesn't listen.

JOHN: (CONT'D) Has the attention span of a sparrow. I take him fishing and he goes hunting for... for trolls.

OZPIN: (DEFENSIVE) Trolls exist! They steal your socks. (DARKLY) But only the left ones. What's with that?

JOHN: When I was a boy...

OZPIN: (GRUMBLING) Oh here we go.

JOHN: My father told me to bang my head against a rock and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?

OZPIN: You got a headache.

JOHN: That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Ozpin. He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. (BEAT) Jaune is not that boy.

OZPIN: You can't stop him, John. You can only prepare him. (BEAT) Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now. _ON JOHN:, as Ozpin's words hit their mark._


	3. 3

EXT. WOODS - DAYON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK

_A drawn map of the island, covered in X's. Jaune looks up from it and peeks over a gorge, expectantly. Sees nothing. He adds another 'X' to the page, then scratches his pencil over the whole map in frustration. He snaps the book closed and pockets it._

JAUNE: Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon.

_Jaune WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him, hitting him in the face._

_He looks up to see a snapped tree trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned earth._

_He follows it to a downed, black dragon, its body and tail tangled in a bola. It appears dead._

_Jaune approaches, beaming._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (IN SHOCK) Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This fixes everything.

(ELATED)Yes!

_He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen Night Fury._

JAUNE: (CONT'D)I have brought down this mighty beast!

_It suddenly shifts._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Whoa!

_Jaune springs back, terrified. He turns his blade on it. Rattled, Jaune creeps along the length of the weak, wounded dragon, dagger poised to strike. As he reaches the head, Jaune finds the Night Fury staring coldly at him. Jaune tries to look away, but he's drawn back to its unnerving, unflinching stare. With the dragon safety tangled in the ropes, Jaune jabs with his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado._

JAUNE: (CONT'D)I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father.

I'm a Viking.

(BEAT) I am a VIKING!

_Jaune raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking- ness. The dragon's labored breathing breaks Jaune's clenched concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through. The dragon holds the stare. Something profound is exchanged._

_Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head, resigned to its fate. Jaune tries to go through with it, holding the dagger aloft... fighting himself... until finally lowering it with a frustrated sigh. He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (muttered, ashamed) I did this.

_He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon, chest heaving. Jaune GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that no one is watching... then hurries back to cut the ropes. The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching his every move, Jaune hurriedly saws through the bola ropes._

_As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES! In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Jaune down, grazing his neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. Jaune is paralyzed._

_The dragon's breath ruffles his hair. Jaune opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare boring into him. The exchange is intense, profound. The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch him, then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead._

_It turns and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers, and drops out of view some distance away._

_Winded, Jaune struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps, collapses to his knees, and faints._


	4. 4

INT. JOHN:'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS _Jaune enters to see... JOHN:, seated on a thick slice of tree-trunk. He is slouched over the fire-pit, stirring the coals with his axe. Embers waft around his beard. Jaune tries to sneak past, up the stairs to his room. John seems none the wiser, when..._

JOHN: Jaune.

JAUNE: (CAUGHT) Dad. Uh... John stands, takes a deep breath.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) I, uh... I have to talk to you, Dad.

JOHN: I need to speak with you too, son. _Jaune and John STRAIGHTEN at the same moment._

JAUNE: JOHN: I've decided I don't want to I think it's time you learn fight dragons. to fight dragons.

(BEAT) (BEAT) What? What?

JOHN: (CONT'D) You go first.

JAUNE: No, you go first.

JOHN: Alright. You get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning.

JAUNE: (SCRAMBLING) Oh man, I should've gone first.

Uh, 'cause I was thinking, you know we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings, or small home

JOHN: -You'll need this. _John hands Jaune his axe. Jaune avoids taking it._

JAUNE: I don't want to fight dragons.

JOHN: Come on. Yes, you do.

JAUNE: Rephrase. Dad I can't kill dragons.

JOHN: But you will kill dragons.

JAUNE: No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't.

JOHN: It's time Jaune.

JAUNE: Can you not hear me?

JOHN: This is serious son! John forces the axe into Jaune's hands. _Its weight drags him down. He looks up to see John under-lit with firelight._

JOHN: (CONT'D) When you carry this axe... you carry all of us with you.

Which means you walk like us.

You talk like us.

You think like us.

No more of... (GESTURING NON- specifically at Jaune) ... this.

JAUNE: You just gestured to all of me.

JOHN: Deal?

JAUNE: This conversation is feeling very one-sided.

JOHN: DEAL?! _Jaune glances at the axe in his hands. It's a no-win argument._

JAUNE: (RESIGNED) Deal. Satisfied, _John grabs his helmet and duffel bag... and heads for the door._

JOHN: Good. Train hard. I'll be back. Probably.

JAUNE: And I'll be here. Maybe. _John heads out the door, leaving Jaune holding the axe._


	5. Chapter 5

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY Ozpin raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena.

OZPIN: Welcome to dragon training! _The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place._

PYRRHA: No turning back.

SUN: I hope I get some serious burns.

NORA: I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.

PYRRHA: Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.

JAUNE: (O.S.) Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it. _The recruits turn to see Jaune behind them. Groans all around._

SUN: Oh great. Who let him in?

OZPIN: Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.

CARDIN: Jaune already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify him or...? _The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background._

SUN: Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?

_Ozpin throws a supportive arm around Jaune and ushers him along._

OZPIN: (cheery, in confidence) Don't worry. You're small and you're weak.

That'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead.

_OZPIN: stick him in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and BELLOWS issue from within._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight. _Ren bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to contain himself._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) The Deadly Nadder.

REN: (under his breath) Speed eight. Armor sixteen.

OZPIN: The Hideous Zippleback.

REN: Plus eleven stealth. Times two.

OZPIN: The Monstrous Nightmare.

REN: Firepower fifteen.

OZPIN: The Terrible Terror.

REN: Attack eight. Venom twelve.

OZPIN: CAN YOU STOP THAT?!

(BEAT) And...the Gronckle.

REN: (quietly; to himself) Jaw strength, eight. Ozpin pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of the doors.

CARDIN: Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first!?

OZPIN: I believe in learning on the job. _BAM! A GRONCKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Nora and Sun who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?

JAUNE: A doctor?

REN: Plus five speed?

PYRRHA: A shield.

OZPIN: Shields. Go. _The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield. _Jaune STRUGGLES to lift his_

_Ozpin helps him and sends him running. Nora and Sun stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it._

SUN: Get your hands off my shield!

NORA: There are like a million shields!

SUN: Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers. _Nora uses the shield to BASH Sun in the face. He doesn't let go._

NORA: Ooops, now this one has blood on it.

_The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Sun and Nora SPIN like tops and go down._

OZPIN: Sun, Nora, you're out!

SUN: (DAZED) What?!

NORA: (CONFUSED) What?! _The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring._

OZPIN: Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim. _The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter. GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and scrambled. It's working._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?

CARDIN: Five!

REN: No, six.

OZPIN: Correct, six. That's one for each of you!

REN: I really don't think my parents WOULD- _BAM! Ren has his shield blasted away._

OZPIN: Ren, out.

_Ozpin spots Jaune hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Jaune, get in there!

_ON PYRRHA: bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast. Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her._

CARDIN: So anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out- _She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back._

OZPIN: Snotlout! You're done! _Pyrrha ROLLS to a stop beside Jaune, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool._

JAUNE: (VOICE BREAKING) So, I guess it's just you and me huh?

PYRRHA: No. Just you.

_Pyrrha ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks Jaune's shield clear off of his arm. Jaune is exposed._

OZPIN: One shot left!

_Jaune panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across the ring. The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him, leaving Pyrrha in the clear._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) (WORRIED _) Jaune! The Gronckle drives straight toward Jaune, pinning him against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ready to fire point-blank. Ozpin lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Jaune's head._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) (rattled, but masking it) And that's six! _Ozpin wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen_.

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance, don't you worry. _Slam! Lock. Ozpin turns to the recruits._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Remember... a dragon will always, (with a stern look to JAUNE:) always go for the kill. _He hoists Jaune to his feet and walks off. Jaune looks overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall._


	6. Chapter 6

EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE - DUSK _JAUNE:, battered after another disastrous day in the ring. He studies the remnants of the discarded bola... revealing that he's back at the scene of the crime._

JAUNE: (MUTTERED) So...why didn't you?

_He drops the bola and presses on in the direction it flew off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an... ISOLATED COVE complete with a pristine spring pool._

_He scans the high stone walls... then notices a single black SCALE on the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Well this was stupid.

_SUDDENLY, the NIGHT FURY blasts past him._

_Jaune recoils, watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. It flaps violently, then peels away to a rough landing._

_The dragon is trapped. Jaune grins, excited to see it again, and slips closer. He watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously._

_Again and again, it rolls uncontrolled and CRASHES heavily._

_As if remembering to snap a photo, Jaune pulls a leather- bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank page._

_He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the image._

_someoneThe Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying climb out of the cove._

_It SLIPS and falls hard, crushing several saplings. The Fury rolls back to his feet and slowly crawls to the water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at them... but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking weakened._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (MUTTERED) Why don't you just...fly away?

_ON JAUNE: as he spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing, carefully erasing one half of the dragon's tail._

_He accidentally drops the charcoal stick. It rolls off of the rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into the cove._

_TINK. TINK. TINK._

_The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Jaune. They exchange a profound, unflinching stare._

_DISSOLVE TO: INT. GREAT HALL - NIGHT_

_A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their hinges._

GOBBER (O.S.) Alright. Where did Pyrrha go wrong in the ring today?

_The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow of the fire pit._

PYRRHA: I mistimed my summersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble.

_Eye rolls from the group._

NORA: (SARCASTIC) Yeah. We noticed.

CARDIN: (grabbing Pyrrha's hand) No, no, you were great. That was so 'Pyrrha'.

GOBBER She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves.

_CREAK. All eyes turn to Jaune, entering the hall, sheepishly. Ozpin glares at him._

GOBBER (CONT'D) (glaring at Jaune) Where did Jaune go wrong?

_He tries to take a seat at the table..._

NORA: He showed up.

SUN: He didn't get eaten. ...

_but the recruits keep closing the gaps._

_Rolling his eyes, Jaune sits at the vacant table next to them._

PYRRHA: He's never where he should be.

GOBBER Thank you, Pyrrha.

_Ozpin Stands_

GOBBER (CONT'D) You need to live and breathe this stuff.

_Ozpin lays a giant book in the center of the table._

GOBBER (CONT'D) The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of.

_A RUMBLE of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside._

GOBBER (CONT'D) No attacks tonight. Study up.

_Ozpin EXITS into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the book._

SUN: (you've got to be kidding) Wait, you mean read?

NORA: While we're still alive?

CARDIN: Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?

REN: Oh! I've read it like, seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face. And there's this other one that buries itself for like a week...


	7. Chapter 7

_EXT. HIGH SEAS - DAWN A painted DRAGON, with a sword run through it. It's the billowing sail of John's ship. John hovers over the familiar nautical map - his eyes on the uncharted corner, swirling in mist and illustrations of dragons._

JOHN: I can almost smell them.

They're close. Steady.

_John raises his gaze to... AN EPIC FOG BANK, towering from sky to sea like a bruised, daunting curtain, beyond which nothing is visible. The threeships drift alongside it, skirting its solid edge, looking for an opening. ON DECK the crewmen mill nervously, all too aware of what John is considering._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Take us in.

_The helmsman steers John's ship into the fog. The men draw their weapons, prepping for the worst._

VIKING Hard to port... for Helheim's gate.

_The first ship disappears into the whiteout, followed by the other two_

_.EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS -_

_RING -DAY CLOSE ON a DRAGON painted onto a shield. Jaune runs his finger over its outline._

JAUNE; You know, I just happened to notice the book had nothing on Night Furies. Is there another book? Or a sequel? Maybe a little Night Furypamphlet?

_KABLAM! A blast takes the axe head off of Jaune's hilt, leaving a smoking hole behind him. Jaune YELPS and RUNS._

OZPIN: (O.S.) FOCUS Jaune! You're not even trying.

_CUT BACK to reveal a Deadly Nadder, loose in a maze-like arrangement of moveable walls. Ozpin calls orders from above._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Today... is all about attack.

"When isn't it." Asks Pyrrha.

_The Nadder hops from wall to wall, sending the recruits scurrying._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter.

_The teens move in, stumbling over Jaune and his unwieldy shield. The Nadder spots Ren' ample rear hiding behind a wall. It whips its tail of spikes. Ren SCREAMS and lifts an entire wall to shield himself from the spray._

REN: I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods.

OZPIN: Look for its blind spot. Every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it, and strike.

_Nora and Sun rush in, diving and rolling up to the Nadder's nose. The Nadder sniffs the air - it can't see them. Sun and Nora are smashed together - too close for comfort._

NORA: (WHISPERED) Do you ever bathe?

SUN: If you don't like it, then just get your own blind spot.

NORA: How about I give you one!

_Nora and Sun SHOVE each other, till their movement and noise gives them away. The Nadder ATTACKS, SNAPPING at both of them._

OZPIN: Blind spot? Yes. Deaf spot? Not so much.

_Jaune wanders up to Ozpin, while the others dart past._

JAUNE; Hey, so how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?

OZPIN: None one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale. Now get in there.

JAUNE; I know, I know, but hypothetically...

PYRRHA: (WHISPERED) Jaune!

_She puts her finger to her lips and gestures for him to hide. A moment later, the Nadder leaps over the walls, surprising them by landing in front of her. Pyrrha somersaults into its blind spot, confusing it the Cardin follows- Jaune attempts to copy them but fails and falls flat on his face_

_he yelps and runs away._

_The Deadly Nadder runs into Pyrrha- She rears back to strike - just as Cardin LEAPS IN, protectively SWEEPING Pyrrha behind him._

CARDIN: Watch out babe. I'll take care of this.

PYRRHA: Hey!

_Cardin MISSES. Pyrrha glares at him._

CARDIN: (DEFENSIVE) The sun was in my eyes, Pyrrha.

What do you want me to do, block out the sun? I could do that, but I don't have time right now!

_The Nadder tears off after her, knocking down walls in pursuit._

_She leaps and dives like a highly trained gymnast. Jaune wanders up to Ozpin again._

JAUNE; They probably take the daytime off.

You know, like a cat. Has anyone ever seen one napping?

OZPIN: Jaune!

PYRRHA: -Jaune!

_Jaune spins around to see the maze walls collapsing like dominos toward him. Pyrrha comes flying through the dust and crash-lands on top of him, laying him out in a limb-tangled mess._

SUN: Oooh! Love on the battlefield!

NORA: She could do better.

_The Nadder closes in, emerging through the cloud of dust._

JAUNE; (struggling to untangle) Just... let me... why don't you...

_The Nadder spins around and races back toward them like a Raptor. Pyrrha untangles herself and tries to pull her axe from Jaune's shield... which is attached to his limp, gangly arm. She PLANTS her foot on his torso and YANKS the axe free, still burrowed into the shield. She SPINS and SWINGS the axe and shield, scoring a DIRECT HIT on the oncoming Nadder's NOSE. It yelps and scurries off._

OZPIN: Well done, Pyrrha.

_Ozpin hobbles off to wrestle the Nadder back into his cave. Jaune gets to his feet - all eyes are upon him. He turns to find Pyrrha glaring at him, winded._

PYRRHA: Is this some kind of a joke to you?

Our parents' war is about to become ours.

Figure out which side you're on.

_She grabs her axe and stomps off. Jaune watches, stung._


	8. Chapter 8

EXT. COVE CLOSE ON

_Jaune appears on screen with a shield in front of him and then- A fish... being thrown into the cove._

_It hits the ground and slides. A moment later, Jaune peeks through a gap in the rock, looking around cautiously. Nothing. Jaune squeezes through and enters the cove And attempts to free the shield but it doesn't move._

_Then Jaune scoops up the fish and walk forwards until he hears a SNORT from behind him._

_Jaune turns to see the Night Fury, crouched on a rock like a stealthy panther. It descends, approaching him... ready to pounce._

_Jaune swallows his fear and offers the fish. Doing so reveals the dagger at his waist. The dragon sees it and hisses. Jaune reaches for it, eliciting a growl._

_He pauses, carefully lifts it by the handle, and tosses it away. The dragon calms. As it approaches the fish, Jaune notices that it's missing teeth._

JAUNE; Huh. Toothless. I could've sworn you had...

_A set of razor sharp teeth emerge from its gums to grab the fish. Toothless snatches and gnashes it up, swallowing it._

JAUNE; (CONT'D) ... teeth.

_The teeth retract again. Toothless presses closer with an expectant look. Jaune retreats nervously._

JAUNE; (CONT'D) Uh, no. No, I don't have any more.

_The Fury backs Jaune against a rock, placing himself the same position as before. The dragon closes in over him, staring blankly. A tense moment passes... then Toothless regurgitates a chunk of fish onto Jaune's lap. They exchange stares. Jaune realizes what Toothless wants him to do._

_Jaune crouches slowly and squeamishly picks it up. The dragon waits expectantly._

_Jaune gags and gnaws off a bite of the slimy fish._

_He forces a smile. Toothless mimics him._

_Amazed, Jaune sits up and tries to touch him. Toothless HISSES and flaps off to a crash on the other side of the cove. He BLASTS the mossy ground to a red-hot temperature... and curls up on it like a giant dog._

_He turns to find Jaune seated beside him. Toothless tolerates his persistent presence... until Jaune tries to touch his damaged tail._

_Toothless SNAPS at him. Jaune takes the hint and leaves._

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. COVE - LATER

_Toothless wakes, hanging upside down from a tree._

_He spots Jaune sitting on the other side of the cove. Sketching in the sand. CLOSE ON a sketch of Toothless. Jaune draws with a stick, minding his own business._

_Toothless appears behind him, watching carefully. Aware of his presence, Jaune continues, trying not to scare him off. Toothless walks off._

_A moment later, he reappears with an entire sapling, drawing lines in the sand. He rushes here and there, making haphazard lines in every direction in the process he hits Jaune in the head with a branch._

_Finally, Toothless drops the tree and inspects his work. He seems pleased._

_Jaune stands and takes in the sprawling scribble, amazed by it. He accidentally steps onto one of the lines, eliciting an instant growl from Toothless. He steps on it again. Toothless growls again._

_Realizing how sensitive he is, Jaune steps carefully between each line, turning round and round until he unwittingly bumps into Toothless._

_Toothless snorts. Once again, they're face to face. Jaune slowly extends his hand. Toothless hesitates. Jaune turns his head away and closes his eyes. To his amazement, Toothless bridges the gap and presses his muzzle against Jaune's hand._

_In a flash, the dragon is gone, leaving Jaune astounded._

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT _Ozpin and the recruits are seated at the top of an abandoned catapult tower, toasting campfire food around a roaring bonfire._

OZPIN: ...and with one twist he took my hand and swallowed it whole. And I saw the look on his face- I was delicious. He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg.

REN: Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon. Like if your mind was still in control of it you could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing his heart or something.

CARDIN: I swear I'm so angry right now. I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face.

_He postures to Pyrrha. She rolls her eyes._

OZPIN: (with a mouthful) Un-unh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon.

_ON JAUNE; hiding his horrified look from the others. Ozpin stands and stretches._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Alright. I'm off to bed. You should be too. Tomorrow we get into the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. (playful, taunting) But who'll win the honor of killing it?

_He hobbles off. The teens reflect._

SUN: (very matter of fact) It's gonna be me. It's my destiny. See?

Sun rolls up his sleeve to reveal a red dragon on his arm.

REN: (GASPS) Your mom let you get a tattoo?

SUN: It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark.

RUFFNUT Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before.

SUN: Yes it was. You've just never seen me from the left side until now.

CARDIN: It wasn't there yesterday. Is it a birthmark or a today-mark?

_Jaune gets up and walks away from the group. Pyrrha watches him as he leaves the bonfire._

DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACKSMITH STALL

_Jaune enters a small room at the back of the stall. It's covered in drawings of weaponry and scale models. He lights a candle and lays his sketchbook out on the desk, opening it to the drawing of Toothless. With a look of determination. Jaune picks up a charcoal stick and re-draws the missing tail._

DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - LATER CLOSE ON

_... a creaking leather bellows. The stone forge glows with every pump. Tongs pull intricate iron pieces from the coals. They're dropped onto the anvil, twisted, lightly hammered, and dunked in a barrel. The pieces are carried to Jaune's workbench and laid out in place on a one-to-one schematic. It's a sketch of a mechanical fin._


	9. Chapter 9

EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DAWN

_Jaune arrives, winded, straining under the weight of a full basket. He clicks the scale he found (like a jar top). Toothless approaches, sniffing him._

JAUNE: Hey Toothless. I brought breakfast. I hope you're hungry.

_Jaune drops the basket and kicks it over. Fish spill out._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay, that's disgusting.

_Toothless approaches, settling in to devour the feast._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Uh..we've got some salmon...

_Toothless swallows it._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) ... some nice Icelandic cod...

_Swallows those too._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) ... and a whole smoked eel.

_Toothless nabs it, chews a few times, then spits it out. He shakes his head violently, snorts and scrubs his massive tongue on the sand. Jaune takes note._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) No, no, no! It's okay. Yeah, I don't like eel much either.

_Toothless focuses on the remainder. With the dragon distracted, Jaune unwraps his prosthetic fin and opens it like a fan._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay. That's it. That's it, just stick with good stuff. And don't you mind me. I'll just be back...here. Minding my own business.

_Jaune cautiously approaches the injured tail, but every time he gets near it, Toothless sweeps it away like a cat._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) It's okay.

_Jaune drops a knee on top of the tail. Toothless' head juts up, slows its chewing to a halt._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay...okay..

_The dragon tenses, slowly spreading his wings. Jaune straps the prosthetic fin in place. He cinches the straps._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (PLEASED) There. Not too bad. It works.

_Toothless BOLTS! He snaps his massive wings and takes to the air, carrying Jaune with him._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Woah! No! No! No!

_Jaune struggles to hold on to the tail. As the ground speeds away, Toothless immediately TIPS into a uncontrolled bank and dive. Jaune sees the folded fin rattling uselessly in opposition to its flared counterpart. Flap as he may, Toothless can't correct his trajectory. Jaune swallows his fear and crawls toward the folded prosthetic. He reaches it and YANKS it open. The flared, fan- like appendage catches the air, stabilizing the twisting tail._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (excited, terrified) It's working!

_Toothless arcs just short of the water and climbs... high into the air. Jaune then turns Toothless around and flies back to the cove._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yes! Yes, I did it.

_He glances back at Jaune, busily holding the tail open while trying to hold on. They're going to crash. Whoomp! Jaune is suddenly thrown from the tail in the intense force of a turn._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!

_He bounces across the water's surface and takes a dive._

_Without Jaune to operate the tail, Toothless does the same, plunging in a massive cannonball._

_Jaune resurfaces, roughed up, but beaming. Toothless appears seconds later._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yeah!

"Only you would plunge into a cold lake after flying on a Nightfury's tale and be happy about it." Sighs Ozpin as Jaune grins.

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING

OZPIN: Today is about teamwork. Work together and you might survive.

_ON A DOUBLE-WIDE DOOR. Gas seeps through the cracks. It BLASTS OPEN. A cloud of smoke engulfs the ring, swirling around the paired-up teens. Pyrrha with Nora. Cardin with Sun. Ren with Jaune. All carry buckets of water, poised to throw them._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Now, a wet dragon head can't light its fire. The Hideous Zippleback is extra tricky. One head breathes gas, the other head lights it. Your job is to know which is which.

_The smoke encircles them, cutting them off from each other._

_The teens LISTEN and WATCH for any sign of the dragon._

REN: (muttering to himself) Razor sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. Prefers ambush attack, crushing its victims in its...

JAUNE: (TENSE) Will you please stop that?

_ON CARDIN: AND SUN: Moving nervously through the fog, back to back. Cardin is singing to himself to calm his nerves._

CARDIN: If that dragon shows either of his faces, I'm gonna-

_(spotting an approaching shape, terrified)_

CARDIN:-There!

_Cardin and Sun HURL their water into the fog._

PYRRHA: Hey!

NORA: It's us, idiots.

_Pyrrha and Nora are soaked._

SUN: Your butts are getting bigger. We thought you were a dragon.

CARDIN: (TO PYRRHA:) Not that there's anything wrong with a dragon-esque figure.

_Pyrrha Punches Cardin in the face. Nora DROPS Sun with a PUNCH to the throat._

PYRRHA: Wait.

_They FREEZE. A tail SWEEPS out of the fog, taking them down. Their buckets spill._

_ON REN: AND JAUNE: coming across them. They see the puddles of spilled water._

SUN: Oh, I'm hurt. I am very much hurt.

REN: Chances of survival are dwindling into single digits now...

JAUNE: Look out!

_A Zippleback head emerges out of the smoke. Ren hurls his water at it, completely dousing the head. It leers and opens its mouth, spewing gas into the area._

REN: Oh. Wrong head.

_GAS FLOWS around their legs. Ren flees in a panic._

OZPIN: Ren!

_A clicking sound comes from behind them. Sparks flash in the smoke._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Now, Jaune!

"Why me?!" Jaune shouts to the ceiling.

_The other head sweeps out of the smoke. Jaune hurls his water with all his might. It arcs and drops short of the dragon's sparking mouth. The dragon grins._

JAUNE: Oh, come on!

OZPIN: RUN, JAUNE:!

_Ozpin COVERS his eyes._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Jaune!

_The Zippleback hesitates. SNIFFS. Then retreats. The teens get to their feet, watching transfixed. Ozpin peeks through his fingers to see The Zippleback backing away from Jaune. He stands and holds his hands out, as if controlling it._

JAUNE: BACK! BACK! BACK! Now don't you make me tell you again!

_The Zippleback retreats through its door and into its cave, hissing._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yes, that's right. Back into your cage.

_Jaune slyly OPENS his vest, revealing the spotted smoked EEL from earlier. He TOSSES it inside the door, then SLAMS it shut._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Now think about what you've done.

_Jaune turns to the teens and Ozpin. They stare, slack-jawed_

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay! So are we done? Because I've got some things I need to...

_Jaune jogs out of the ring, past the speechless group._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yep...see you tomorrow.

"Yeah that was awkward..." Jaune trails off.

_Pyrrha SNEERS. Something's going on._


	10. Chapter 10

EXT. WOODS/COVE -

_SUNSET BEGIN MUSIC MONTAGE INT. BLACKSMITH STALL_

_Jaune cuts and stitches leather, draws and shapes steel. He works by candlelight. An overhead shot reveals what he's building: a harness, complete with handles and foot pedals._

_EXT. COVE - DAY Jaune appears before Toothless, holding the new prosthetic. Toothless runs off as Jaune chases him down._

JAUNE: Hey!

_Toothless and Jaune are zooming over the ocean. The tail breaks free sending Jaune flying._

JAUNE: Yeah! Whoa!

INT. BLAKCSMITH STALL - LATER

_Jaune adjusts the harness and uses a metal clamp to affix himself to Toothless' saddle._

EXT. SKY/FIELD - DAWN

_Jaune and Toothless zip through the air - his rudimentary harness and tail controls are working, barely. They crash- land in an open field._

_Jaune recovers to find Toothless still rolling around in the tall grass._

_Jaune discovers that it's a patch of dragon- nip.' Toothless writhes on his back, tongue wagging, in complete bliss._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - MORNING

_Jaune grabs the head as instructed, then discreetly pulls a fistful of dragon-nip' and presses it up to the Gronkle's nose. It immediately stops struggling and goes weak in the knees. Jaune drops the handful of dragon-nip to the ground. The Gronkle goes down with it, whimpering and blissful._

_From Ozpin and the recruits' point of view, Jaune is controlling the Gronkle with no more than a limp arm._

EXT. WOODS - AFTERNOON

_The recruits walk home together, surrounding Jaune and BOMBARDING HIM WITH QUESTIONS._

REN: Hey Jaune, I've never seen a Gronkle to that before.

SUN: How'd you do that?

NORA: It was really cool.

_He squirms and invents an excuse._

JAUNE: I left my axe back in the ring.

_He turns and hurries back._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up with you.

_Pyrrha watches, suspicious._

EXT. COVE - LATER

_Jaune rubs Toothless behind the ear, causing him to relax and fall over._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - LATER

_An angry Deadly Nadder approaches Jaune. Just as Pyrrha moves in to strike, Jaune performs his special rubbing technique, which sends the Nadder down._

_Pyrrha and the other kids look on from the sideline in amazement._

INT. MEADE HALL - CONTINUOUS

_Jaune sits down at a table to eat. The other recruits notice him and move over to his table to talk to him - leaving Pyrrha alone._

REN: Hey Jaune!

CARDIN: What was that?

Some kind of trick?

What did you do?

SUN: Jaune, you're totally going to come in first, there's no question.

EXT. COVE - LATER

_Jaune is using a mirror-like object to create a patch of light on the ground. Toothless claws and chases the light patch like a cat chasing a laser pointer._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY

_A beam lifts from the door of another dragon pen._

OZPIN: Meet the Terrible Terror.

_A tiny, pint-sized dragon steps out and moves toward the recruits._

SUN: Ha. It's like the size of my-

_Sun is taken down in a blur._

SUN: (CONT'D) Get it off! Get it off! Oh! I'm hurt, I am very much hurt!

_Jaune stops the Terrible Terror with the same light-patch trick he used earlier with Toothless. The tiny dragon retreats back to it's cage. The teens approach him yet again as Pyrrha looks on with suspicion._

SUN: (CONT'D) (TO PYRRHA:) Wow, he's better than you ever were.

CUT TO: EXT. FOREST - MOMENTS LATER

_Pyrrha furiously hurls her axe at a nearby tree. She notices Jaune walking by in the distance, carrying one of his trademark harnesses. She quickly tries to follow, but he loses her in the woods. She HUFFS, frustrated._

EXT. COVE - LATER

_Jaune straps a newly designed harness onto Toothless. With Toothless tied to a nearby post with a rope. Jaune rides him in the air - while stationary. Toothless looks like a giant kite tied to a tree stump. This harness seems to work._

EXT. SKY - MOMENTS LATER

_The rope breaks and the pair CRASH into a tree. Jaune's harness is stuck to the saddle._

JAUNE: Oh, great.

EXT. BERK - NIGHT

_The streets are empty save for a lone Viking who crosses Jaune's path._

VIKING Jaune.

_Jaune nods, trying to look casual. Once the coast is clear, he covertly steers Toothless into the Blacksmith's stall. Toothless PRESSES himself inside, rooting through stuff and making a racket._

_Pyrrha, walking nearby, is alerted._

PYRRHA: (O.S.) Jaune?

_Jaune FREEZES. Then frantically tries to pry the ring off the saddle hook. It won't budge._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Are you in there?

_Too late - she's right outside. ON PYRRHA: walking along the outside of the Blacksmith's. Jaune JUMPS OUT the window and CLOSES the shutters behind him. Jaune's harness line is stretched through the window, still attached to Toothless' saddle._

JAUNE: Pyrrha. Hey! Hi Pyrrha. Hi Pyrrha. Hi Pyrrha.

PYRRHA: I normally don't care what people do, but you're acting weird. Well, weirder.

_Toothless spots a nearby sheep and makes a move toward it._

_As a result, Jaune is suddenly PULLED TIGHT against the window shutters. He STRIKES A POSE to compensate... then gets PULLED THROUGH the shutters. They snap back in Pyrrha's face. Pyrrha reopens them and finds nothing but an empty stall. In the distance, Toothless and Jaune slip off unseen._


	11. Chapter 11

EXT. DOCKS - DAWN

_A lone, battered ship is pulled into a slip, overloaded with equally battered-looking men._

_They disembark to a crowd of onlookers, looking like a team of hometown heroes who just had their butts kicked. Ozpin hobbles through the MUMBLING crowd to find John - last to disembark and glowering with battered pride._

VIKING Where are the other ships?

SPITELOUT You don't want to know.

_John lumbers past Ozpin, leaving him staring at the trashed ship._

OZPIN: Well, I trust you found the nest at least?

JOHN: Not even close.

OZPIN: Ah. Excellent.

_Ozpin follows John up the ramp and snags his duffle bag with his hook appendage, sharing the burden._

JOHN: I hope you had a little more success than me.

OZPIN: Well, if by success, you mean that your parenting troubles are over with, then... yes.

_John stops. What does that mean? A group of merry villagers rush past._

VIKING #1 Congratulations John! Everyone is so relieved.

VIKING #2 Out with the old and in with the new, right?!

VIKING #3 No one will miss that old nuisance!

VIKING #4 The village is throwing a party to celebrate!

_John is stunned, overwhelmed by the insensitivity. He turns to Ozpin._

JOHN: He's... gone?

OZPIN: Yeah...most afternoons.

But who can blame him? I mean the life of a celebrity is very rough. He can barely walk through the village without being swarmed by his new fans.

_John is doubly confused._

JOHN: Jaune?

OZPIN: (BEAMING) Who would've thought, eh? He has this...way with the beasts.

CUT TO: EXT. SKY - AFTERNOON

_Toothless and Jaune soar through a perfect blue sky. Billowing clouds rise like mountains. The ground seems miles below them._

JAUNE: Okay there bud, we're gonna take this nice and slow.

_Jaune checks a leather cheat sheet, clipped onto his harness. Inscribed upon it are several tail positions and their pedal position equivalents._

HICCU Here we go. Here we go...position three, no four.

_He presses the pedal, causing the tail to flare. They roll off into an arcing bank, gloriously lit by the late afternoon sun. Jaune tucks tight against his neck, thrilled that his new harness and vest are holding. The foot controls make the tail appendage quick and responsive. He watches Toothless' every fluctuation, trying to match it with the prosthetic. Jaune sizes up a target - a towering arch of stone, rising from the sea._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Alright, it's go time. It's go time. They dive toward it, lining up to pass through the arch.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Come on. Come on buddy. Come on buddy!

_They zip through the arch. A perfect maneuver._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yeah! Yes, it worked!

_The triumph is short-lived. They smack into one of several sea stacks as Jaune tries to keep up with the turns._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Sorry.

_They hurtle into another rock pillar. Toothless grumbles._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) My fault.

_Toothless swats him with his 'ear' plate._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yeah, yeah, I'm on it.(referring to the cheat SHEET) Position four, no three.

_They pierce the clouds. For the first time, Jaune can see the whole of the island below them. It shrinks with every passing second. He SWALLOWS hard and tightens his grip on the handles._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Yeah! Go baby! Yes! Oh, this is amazing! The wind in my...

_He spots the leather guide tearing free in the turbulence._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (PANICKED) ... CHEAT SHEET! STOP!

_Jaune grabs frantically for the airborne sheet..._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) No!

_and NABS IT before it's carried out of reach. Toothless, however, obeys the command and suddenly STOPS beating his wings. As they slow to a stop, Jaune goes weightless. The rings of his vest float off of the harness hooks. Jaune suddenly finds himself detached, free-falling._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Oh gods! Oh no! Without Jaune, the tail loses control. Jaune and Toothless spiral downward. Toothless FIGHTS to get back under Jaune.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (trying to calm Toothless) Alright, okay. You just gotta kinda angle yourself. No, no...come back down towards me. Come back down-

_Jaune extends his arms and legs, giving himself as much surface area as he can. He angles back towards Toothless as the tumbling dragon WHACKS Jaune with his wing. After a few more misses, Jaune finally GRABS HOLD of the harness and manages to lock in - just in time to pull Toothless out of his dive... barely shy of the tree tops._

_They careen past the wooded cliff and directly into a treacherous slalom course of jutting sea stacks. Jaune pulls the cheat sheet from his teeth and attempts to check positions._

_It flaps violently in the turbulence, making it impossible. With no time to think, Jaune throws it away and steers Toothless' tail on instinct... with perfect intuition._

_Together, they manage a tight, hair-raising series of split- second turns, making it to the open water, unscathed. Jaune takes a breath and glances back at the death-defying obstacle course, now safely behind them. He beams, relieved. He sits back and throws his arms up in victory._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) YEEAHHH!

_Toothless concurs with a happy SQUEAL and a fireball. Jaune's glee turn to dread as they fly directly into it._

ON JAUNE:'S FACE JAUNE: (CONT'D) Ah, come on.

EXT. BLACK SAND BEACH - SUNSET

_Jaune and Toothless lounge on a sprawling, deserted beach, snacking of freshly caught fish. As Jaune cooks his over a fire, Toothless suddenly regurgitates a fish head. Jaune smirks with forced politeness._

JAUNE: Uh..no thanks. (gesturing to his fish on A STICK) I'm good.

_Several Terrible Terrors land like seagulls, hissing and nipping at each other as they approach Toothless' pile of fish._

_One grabs the regurgitated fish head and drags it away. Another attempts to steal it from him. They face off and last fire balls at each other to settle the fight. Jaune watches, amused._

_That is until... Toothless spots one of his fish leaving the pile. A stealthy Terrible Terror is exposed as the thief. They tug on the fish, and it snaps back into Toothless' mouth. He swallows it back tauntingly._

_Irate, the little dragon paws at the ground and blast Toothless._

_He opens his mouth, the gas hiss comes, and Toothless fires a tiny flame straight into its mouth, causing the gas to backfire into the little dragon. It coughs up smoke and staggers away, looking ill. Jaune laughs._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Not so fireproof on the inside, are you?

_Jaune throws the hapless Terror his freshly cooked fish._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Here you go.

_The appreciative little dragon gulps down the meal and approaches Jaune cautiously. He curls up next to him. Jaune is amazed._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (PENSIVE) Everything we know about you guys is wrong.


	12. Chapter 12

INT. BLACKSMITH STALL

_JAUNE: is lost in thought, his head laid on a desk full of Toothless drawings. Burdened with the weight of the world. Suddenly, JOHN: appears in the doorway. Jaune jumps and quickly covers up his desk._

JAUNE: Dad! You're back!

_He skirts the bench, blocking John's view of Toothless, the prosthetic fin, and other drawings._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Ozpin's not here, so...

_He strikes an awkwardly casual pose, trying to cover up as much as possible_

JOHN: I know. I came looking for you.

JAUNE: (CAUGHT) You did?

JOHN: (STERN) You've been keeping secrets.

_Jaune's legs give out. He slides, dragging the table's contents with him._

JAUNE: I...have?

JOHN: Just how long did you think you could hide it from me?

JAUNE: (IN VAIN) I don't know what you're...

JOHN: Nothing happens on this island without me hearing about it.

JAUNE: Oh?

JOHN: So. Let's talk about that dragon.

_Blood drains from Jaune's face._

JAUNE: Oh gods. Dad, I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how to-

_John starts laughing. Big, booming. Jaune stares, baffled._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) You're not...upset?

JOHN: What?! I was hoping for this!

JAUNE: Uh...you were?

JOHN: And believe me, it only gets better!

Just wait til you spill a Nadder's guts for the first time.

_Jaune's elated expression sinks._

JOHN: (CONT'D) And mount your first Gronckle head on a spear. What a feeling!

_John laughs and smacks Jaune on the shoulder, sending him into the wall._

JOHN: (CONT'D) You really had me going there, son. All those years of the worst Viking Berk has ever seen! Odin, it was rough. I almost gave up on you!

_Jaune gets back up, grimacing in the irony of it all._

JOHN: (CONT'D) And all the while, you were holding out on me! Thor almighty!

_John grabs a stool and sits. His massive frame nearly fills the tiny room._

JOHN: (CONT'D) (RELIEVED) Ahhhhh. With you doing so well in the ring, we finally have something to talk about.

_Pregnant pause. Jaune averts his eyes nervously. John adjusts, awkwardly clearing his throat._

_After a long, uncomfortable silence..._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Oh, I... brought you something.

_He presents a horned helmet._

JOHN: (CONT'D) To keep you safe in the ring.

JAUNE: (SINCERE) Wow. Thanks.

_Jaune accepts it, looking it over._

JOHN: Your mother would've wanted you to have it. (HEARTFELT) It's half of her breast plate.

_John taps his own helmet and smiles._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Matching set. Keeps her close, y'know?

_Jaune eyes the mismatched helmets, grimacing._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Wear it proudly. You deserve it. You've held up your end of the deal.

_John beams with pride. Jaune squirms. He forces a YAWN._

JAUNE: I should really get to bed.

JOHN: AND JAUNE: (OVER EACH OTHER) Yes! Good! Okay. Good talk. See you back at the house. We should do this again. I'm Great. Thanks for stopping glad I stopped by, I hope you by. And for the... the uh, like the hat. breast hat.

JOHN: Well..uh..good night.

_John leaves the room awkwardly, leaving Jaune looking more burdened than ever._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - AFTERNOON

_A Gronckle hovers above the ring, hunting victims as the teen recruits scramble. Pyrrha ducks behind a barrier to find Jaune already there. She forces her axe at his throat._

PYRRHA: Stay out of my way! I'm winning this thing.

JAUNE: Please, by all means.

_She darts off, CLOSING FAST on the dragon. The crowd above cheers her on._

VIKING IN CROWD You got it Pyrrha!

_Jaune stands and looks around. Amidst the crowd of onlookers, John watches keenly, beaming with pride. He locks eyes with Jaune, giving him a nod of encouragement. Jaune adjusts his new helmet and forces a half-hearted smile. Unbeknownst to Jaune, the Gronckle spots him and makes a bee- line toward him._

_BACK TO PYRRHA: ... as she catches her breath behind a barrier. She scowls, focused, determined._

PYRRHA: This time. This time for sure.

_With a FIERCE BATTLE-CRY she LEAPS from cover, axe cocked to throw._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Aaaaaaaaaa...

_And as she clears the barriers, she sees that Jaune has already laid the Gronckle out._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) ...aaaaaaauGGGGGHHHHHHHH! No! No!

_Jaune shrugs, as unhappy with the situation as she is._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) NO! NO! SON OF HALF TROLL RAT EATING MUNGE BUCKET!

_A loud CLACK rings out. From the crowd above, Gothi, the village elder, steps forward, tapping her staff. Everyone lights up excitedly._

JOHN: Wait! Wait!

JAUNE: So, later.

_Ozpin snags Jaune as he attempts to leave._

OZPIN: Not so fast.

JAUNE: I'm kinda late for-

PYRRHA: (LIVID) What? Late for what exactly?

_John holds out his hands to silence the jabbering crowd._

JOHN: Okay quiet down. The elder has decided.

_Thrilled, Ozpin stands behind Jaune and Pyrrha. He points to Pyrrha as the crowd waits in silent anticipation. Gothi shakes her head 'no.' The crowd 'Oooohs.' Ozpin then points to Jaune. The elder nods an affirmative 'yes.' The crowd erupts in cheers. Pyrrha turns a seething, deadly glare on Jaune._

OZPIN: You've done it! You've done it, Jaune! You get to kill the dragon!

JOHN: Ha, ha! That's my boy!

_Jaune is hoisted onto the recruits' shoulders and carried out to the cheering spectators..._

JAUNE: (MASKING PANIC) Heh, heh. Oh yeah! Yes! I can't wait. I am so...

And the scene fades.


	13. Chapter 13

EXT. HIDDEN COVE - DUSK

JAUNE:... leaving.

We're leaving.

Let's pack up. Looks like you and me are taking a little vacation, forever.

_Toothless is nowhere in sight. Jaune sets down his basket and opens it up, his head clouded with troubles._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Oh..man...

_SHINK! Jaune looks up to the sound of... PYRRHA:, sitting on the rock right in front of him, sharpening her axe._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (SHOCKED) Aggh! What the-

(RECOMPOSING) What are you doing here?

_She hops off the rock and back him down, spinning her axe threateningly. Jaune's eyes dart around nervously, searching for Toothless._

PYRRHA: I want to know what's going on.

No one just gets as good as you do.

Especially you.

Start talking!

Are you training with someone?

JAUNE: Uh...training?

_She grabs him by his odd-looking harness._

PYRRHA: It better not involve... this.

JAUNE: I know this looks really bad, but you see...this is, uh...

_They hear a RUSTLE coming from the other side of the cove. Astrid DROPS Jaune to the ground and sets off to investigate._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (PANICKED) You're right! You're right. I'm through with the lies. I've been making... outfits.

So you got me. It's time everyone knew. Drag me back. Go ahead. Here we go.

_He puts her hand back on his harness, getting her to 'drag him back.' Astrid BENDS Jaunes hand backwards, driving him down._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) AAAAUUGGGHHH! Why would you do that?!

PYRRHA: That's for the lies.

_Astrid pounces the hilt of her axe off of Jaune's laid-out body._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) And THAT'S for everything else.

_Jaune's YELP is answered with A GROWL, coming from the other side of the cove. Astrid looks up to see... A NIGHT FURY. Toothless pounces toward them, snarling._

JAUNE: (FEEBLE) Oh man.

_She dives onto Jaune._

PYRRHA: Get down! Run! Run!

_Jaune is pulled back to the ground with a 'umph'_

_Astrid pulls her axe, ready to take on Toothless._

JAUNE: No!

_Jaune knocks Astrid's cocked axe to the ground, out of reach, then stops Toothless short of crushing her._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) No. It's okay! It's okay...

_Toothless pulls up short and lands hard, SPRAYING Astrid with sand._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (CALMING) She's a friend.

_Toothless snorts in disagreement. Astrid is frozen. Toothless looks from her to Jaune and back to her, confused._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (TO PYRRHA:) You just scared him.

PYRRHA: I scared him!?

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) (INTENSE WHISPER) Who is him?

JAUNE:. Astrid, Toothless. Toothless, Astrid.

_Astrid backs away, eyeing Jaune and Toothless together with pure disgust. She turns and RUNS for the village._

JAUNE: Dadada- We're dead.

_Satisfied with Astrid's departure, Toothless turns away._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (TO TOOTHLESS) Where do you think you're going?

EXT. WOODS - MOMENTS LATER

_PYRRHA: races through the trees.A large shadow overtakes her. She is suddenly SNATCHED into the air. Astrid SCREAMS._

PYRRHA: Oh great Odin's ghost, this is it!

_Jaune and Toothless fly Astrid to the top of a towering pine. It bows and creaks under their weight as Astrid dangles a hundred feet in the air._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Jaune! Get me down from here!

JAUNE: You have to give me a chance to explain.

PYRRHA: I'm not listening to ANYTHING you have to say!

JAUNE: Then I won't speak. Just let me show you.

_Jaune extends a hand._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Please, Astrid.

_She eyes him and the dragon, then the ground far, far below. After a moment, she swats Jaune's outstretched hand away and reluctantly climbs over the pedal, lines, and harness. She settles behind Jaune, avoiding as much contact as possible._

PYRRHA: Now get me down.

JAUNE: Toothless? Down. Gently.

_Toothless leers mischievously. He spreads his wings slowly. With a WHOP, they fill with the updraft. Toothless releases the tree, tucks in his legs, and HOVERS in place._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) See? Nothing to be afraid of.

_Toothless suddenly LAUNCHES straight upward. Astrid SCREAMS. The acceleration is tremendous._

_Every downbeat bucks the saddle, heaving them into the sky, doubling their speed like a rocket. Astrid is thrown backward. She SCREAMS and hugsJaune for dear life, squeezing the breath out of him._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Toothless! What is wrong with you?! Bad dragon! (mortified; to Astrid) He's not usually like this. Oh no...

_Toothless ROLLS and PLUMMETS toward the coastline far below. Astrid SCREAMS. Toothless rockets over the ocean waves, deliberately dippingthem in the froth._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Toothless, what are you doing?! We need her to like us!

_Toothless rockets skyward and begins tumbling head over tail._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) And now the spinning. Thank you for nothing you useless reptile.

_Astrid clamps her hand over her eyes._

PYRRHA: Okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Just get me off of this thing.

_Astrid is defeated, her aggressive energy gone. Satisfied, Toothless relents. They level off and head up into the clouds. Astrid opens her eyes again, and looks out over a world she'd never dreamed of. She reaches out and touches clouds, pierces columns ablaze in golden hues, and floats over a vast, alien sky- scape. Her terror is replaced by wonder. She grins, despite herself. Toothless rises above a blanket of clouds..._

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. SKY - NIGHT .

_..and levels off under a starry sky. They emerge from a blanket of clouds under the dancing Northern Lights, shimmering in ribbons across the vast sky. Below them, Berk's torches flicker in the inky darkness. The new perspective is breathtaking. Astrid tucks her arms into Jaune's vest, burying her chin into his shoulder._

_The moment is not lost on either of them. Jaune smiles nervously. Toothless climbs past Berk's tallest peaks and heads out over open water, leaving the village lights behind them._

PYRRHA: Alright I admit it. This is pretty cool. It's... amazing. He's amazing.

_Astrid carefully reaches down and pats Toothless' side._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) So what now?

_Jaune groans. It's a problem without an answer._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Jaune, your final exam is tomorrow. You know you're going to have to kill... (WHISPERED) ... kill a dragon.

JAUNE: Don't remind me.

_A strange, unearthly din approaches. Toothless' ear plates suddenly stand on end. Panicked, he abruptly dives, dipping into cloud cover._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Toothless! What's happening? What is it?

_Toothless BARKS at him. 'Quiet!' Suddenly, out of the dense cloud, a Monstrous Nightmare emerges._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Get down!

_Jaune and Astrid duck. The Nightmare calls out. A Zippleback appears to the other side of Toothless, boxing him in._

PYRRHA: What's going on?

JAUNE: I don't know. (BEAT) Toothless. You've got to get us out of here, bud.

_Toothless HISSES. Other dragons, previously invisible in the thick clouds, appear all around them. HUNDREDS of them, all carrying fish and game in their talons._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (WHISPERED) It looks like they're hauling in their kill.

_The Zippleback eyes them ravenously._

PYRRHA: What does that make us?

 _The dragons BANK and dive in formation, plummeting through the thickening fog and weaving between towering, craggy sea stacks. They emerge at the base of a massive volcanic caldera, glowing with rivulets of lava. The flock of dragons fall into rank, funneling through a crack, and zipping through a winding tunnel. It gives way to a vast, steamy inner chamber, tiered with pocky shelves. Dragons of all breeds lay about, nested in hordes.The arriving dragons fly in, dropping the fish and game into a central pit, glowing red and shrouded in mist. Jaune is_ amazed.

JAUNE: What my dad wouldn't give to find this.

_Toothless peels away from the procession, landing on a small shadowy shelf to keep a low-profile. Jaune and Astrid peek around, taking in the busy hive of sorts. They watch as the food continues to be dropped into the pit._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) It's satisfying to know that all of our food has been dumped down a hole.

PYRRHA: They're not eating any of it.

_Last to arrive is a dim-witted Gronckle. It hovers over the pit and regurgitates his paltry contribution - a pathetic little fish. As it falls into the steamy pit, a terrible ROAR rings out. The Gronckle tries to flee, but before it can, a gargantuan dragon head juts from the steamy pit and SNAPS it out of the air. Swallowing it back whole. Jaune and Astrid recoil, terrified._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) What is that?

_The monstrous beast SNIFFS the air, seemingly aware of them. It nears the ledge where Toothless is hiding... and ROARS. Several dragons take flight in fear._

JAUNE: Alright buddy, we gotta get out of here. Now!

_Toothless takes flight, barely evading the monster's snapping jaws. The behemoth dragon lunges for them, snatching a Zippleback out of the air instead._

_Toothless disappears into the winged exodus as thousands of dragons flee the caldera in fear._

EXT. HIDDEN COVE - NIGHT - LATER

_Toothless glides into the cove and touches down on the moonlit beach._

PYRRHA: (her mind reeling, talking Jaune's ear off) No, no, it totally makes sense. It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers... and that's theirqueen. It controls them.

_She leaps off of Toothless and runs toward the village._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Let's find your dad.

JAUNE: No, no! Not yet. They'll... kill Toothless.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Astrid, we have to think this through carefully.

_Astrid eyes him, incredulous._

PYRRHA: Jaune, we just discovered the dragons' nest...

the thing we've been after since Vikings first sailed here. And you want to keep it a secret?

To protect your pet dragon?

Are you serious?

_Jaune stands firm, resolute._

JAUNE: Yes.

_Astrid's taken aback._

PYRRHA: Okay. Then what do we do?

JAUNE: Just give me until tomorrow. I'll figure something out.

PYRRHA: Okay.

_Astrid PUNCHES Jaune in the arm._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) That's for kidnapping me.

_Jaune looks to Toothless for support. Toothless SNORTS, dismissive._

_Astrid grabs him. He braces for another hit. She KISSES Jaune on the cheek?_

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) That's for, everything else.

_In the awkward wake of the moment, Astrid hurries off... leaving Jaune RUBBING his cheek, stunned. Toothless hobbles up, eyeing him._

JAUNE: What are you looking at?


	14. Chapter 14

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY

_The grounds have been transformed. Banners and flags flap in the morning sun. Surrounding the ring, a festive crowd had gathered. All of Berk has turned out for the event._

JOHN: (aloud to the crowd) Well, I can show my face in public again.

_LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE_

JOHN: (CONT'D) (PLAYFUL) If someone had told me that in a few short weeks, Jaune would go from being, well... Jaune,

to placing first in dragon training... I would've tied him to a mast and shipped him off

for fear he'd gone mad. Yes! And you know it! But here we are. And no one's more surprised...

_ON JAUNE: standing at the entrance to the ring, listening, looking burdened._

JOHN: (CONT'D) ... or more proud than I am.

Today, my boy becomes a Viking. TODAY, HE BECOMES ONE OF US!

_CHEERS and ROARS. Astrid approaches Jaune._

PYRRHA: Be careful with that dragon.

JAUNE: (re: the roaring crowd) It's not the dragon I'm worried about.

PYRRHA: (WORRIED) What are you going to do?

JAUNE: Put an end to this.

_She eyes him, dubious._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) I have to try. Astrid. If something goes wrong... just make sure they don't find Toothless.

PYRRHA: (GRIM) I will. Just promise me it won't go wrong.

_Ozpin approaches._

OZPIN: It's time, Jaune. Knock him dead.

_Jaune puts his helmet on and enters the ring._

_ON THE TEENS HOOTING and HOLLERING from the stands._

SUN: Show 'em how it's done, my man!

_Jaune locks eyes with John. John nods with a smile. Jaune returns a half-smile. Takes a deep breath. He hoists a shield onto his forearm and selects his weapon from a rack of many - a small dagger._

JOHN: (MUTTERED) Hrmph. I would've gone for the hammer.

_Jaune turns to face a bolted, heavy door. Takes a deep breath._

JAUNE: I'm ready.

_The door bolt is raised. The crowd grows quiet... Beat. BOOM! The doors blast open with a stream of sticky fire. Followed by a Monstrous Nightmare, coated in flames._

_It tears out of its cave like an irate bull - as the crowd roars and jeers. It climbs the walls and chain enclosure like a bat, hissing at the provoking crowd and blasting fire. It spots Jaune and descends, leering and licking the flaming drool from its lips. The crowd grows silent, bracing for the big fight. With the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes locked upon him, Jaune deliberately drops his shield and dagger stepping away from them. The dragon pauses, confused._

_ON JOHN:, also confused._

JOHN: What is he doing?

_The dragon presses closer, snorting. Jaune extends his open hand. It snarls._

JAUNE: (WHISPERED) It's okay. It's okay.

_The dragon continues to pace, focused on... JAUNE:'S HELMET. Jaune realizes, then reaches up and removes it. Taking a breath to acknowledge the point of no return, he tosses the helmet aside. It hits the ground._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) I'm not one of them.

_GASPS and MURMURS race through the crowd._

_ON JOHN:, as all eyes turn to him. He's welling with upset. Jaune avoids John's glare and remains focused on the Nightmare, holding his hand out. It paces around him, calming down._

JOHN: Stop the fight.

JAUNE: No. I need you all to see this.

_The crowd gets restless._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) They're not what we think they are. We don't have to kill them.

JOHN: I SAID STOP THE FIGHT

_John whacks his hammer against the iron enclosure, rattling the arena with a terrible reverberating clatter._

_Spooked, the Nightmare snaps at Jaune's outstretched hand. Jaune YELPS and springs backward. The spell is broken. The Nightmare reacts to Jaune's sudden movements and blasts another stream of fire. Jaune SCREAMS and barely dives out of reach._

EXT. COVE - CONTINUOUS ON TOOTHLESS

_His ear plates shoot up. Panic flares in his eyes._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS

_Jaune scrambles around the ring. The Nightmare pursues, snapping and springing from ground to wall. John pushes through the crowd, rushing to the doorway._

JOHN: Out of my way!

PYRRHA: Jaune!

_Astrid wedges her axe under the arena gate and squeezes through._

EXT. COVE - CONTINUOUS

_Toothless bounds to the cove walls, clawing them in desperation. It seems he's as trapped as before, but with an incredible BURST of effort he HOOKS a claw over the upper lip of the stone wall._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS

_A narrow stream of fire narrowly avoids Jaune as he continues to dash around the ring, evading the Monstrous Nightmare. Desperate, he goes to the weapon rack in an attempt to arm himself, but the Nightmare quickly destroys the rack and closes in on him._

"Well do much for that idea." Mutters Jaune.

EXT. COVE - CONTINUOUS

_Toothless tears through the woods, bounding like panther and taking to the air in short bursts_

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS

_John wrenches the grated door to the arena and jumps through. The Monstrous Nightmare is only a few feet behind Jaune. Astrid is now in the ring._

PYRRHA: Jaune!

_She picks up a hammer and hurls it at the Monstrous Nightmare, hitting it in the head. It turns its attention to Astrid, and begins chasing her._

_John raises the arena gate, waving her toward it._

JOHN: This way!

_Astrid makes it through, but the Nightmare BLASTS the doorway, cutting Jaune off._

_It pounces on him and prepares to finish him off._

_Suddenly, a terrible roar pierces the din._

OZPIN: Night Fury! Get down!

_Toothless bounds over the crowd and BLASTS a hole through the chain enclosure. He flies through it and disappears in the boiling smoke. The Vikings rush to railings... in time to see a flurry of wings cutting through the dissipating smoke. Toothless and the Nightmare tumble into the clear, locked in a toothy, vicious fight. Toothless kicks the Nightmare off and plants himself between Jaune and it. The Nightmare snarls, circling them. Toothless lunges and ROARS... causing the Nightmare to relent and back away. To everyone's shock and horror, Jaune gets to his feet and grabs Toothless protectively._

JAUNE: (PANICKED) Alright, Toothless, go. Get out of here!

_The crowd is gob-smacked, growing livid._

VIKINGS Night Fury!

_Jaune tries to shoo Toothless away in vain. Vikings begin pouring clambering through the enclosure and dropping into the ring._

JAUNE: Go! GO!

VIKING Take it alive!

_John grabs an axe and charges into the arena. Astrid calls out to him, panicked._

PYRRHA: John no!

JAUNE: Dad! No! He won't hurt you!

_The other Vikings surround and attack Toothless. He tosses them aside like rag dolls, his eyes focused on John._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) No, don't! You're only making it worse!

_John raises his hammer as he charges for Toothless. Toothless ducks and pounces on him. They tumble end over end._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Toothless! STOP!

_He pins John and inhales. The familiar hiss of gas builds. Everyone braces..._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) NO!

_Toothless swallows back the blast and turns to Jaune, not understanding_

VIKING Get him!

_The crowd rushes him, piling on, and taking Toothless down. Astrid holds Jaune back._

JAUNE: (DESPERATE) No! Please...just don't hurt him. Please don't hurt him.

_John gets to his feet, fuming, shaken. A Viking presents John with an axe. He eyes Toothless a moment, then pushes the axe back into the Viking's hands._

JOHN: Put it with the others!

_His burning glare turn to Jaune._

INT. GREAT HALL

_Being shoved into the dank, dimmed hall. SLAM! The massive doors rattle and echo. John pushes past him. He paces against a backdrop of shadowy tapestries and carved pillars - a legacy of heroes, all peering down in angered judgement._

JOHN: I should have known. I should have seen the signs.

JAUNE: Dad.

JOHN: We had a deal!

_John pauses to say something, but stops short. He SNORTS and resumes pacing, repeating the cycle._

JAUNE: (FLUSTERED) I know we did... but that was before... ughh, it's all so messed up.

JOHN: So everything in the ring. A trick? A lie?

_He stomps toward Jaune. Stops short and points, fighting back words._

JAUNE: I screwed up. I should have told you before now. Take this out on me, be mad at me, but please... just don't hurt Toothless.

JOHN: The dragon? That's what you're worried about? Not the people you almost killed?!

JAUNE: He was just protecting me! He's not dangerous.

JOHN: They've killed HUNDREDS OF US!

JAUNE: And we've killed THOUSANDS OF THEM! They defend themselves, that's all! They raid us because they have to! If they don't bring enough food back, they'll be eaten themselves.There's something else on their island dad...it's a dragon like-

JOHN: -Their island? '

_He stomps back... pointing an accusing finger._

JOHN: (CONT'D) So you've been to the nest.

JAUNE: Did I say nest?

_Jaune goes silent - he said too much._

JOHN: How did you find it?!

JAUNE: No... I didn't. Toothless did. Only a dragon can find the island.

_John GLARES. A moment passes, then an idea takes form on his face. His eyes flare. Jaune watches, realizing. John stomps toward the doorway._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Oh no. No, Dad. No.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Dad. It's not what you think. You don't know what you're up against. It's like nothing you've ever seen.

_He grabs John by the arm, tugging with all his might. He has no effect whatsoever._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Dad. Please. I promise you that you can't win this one.

_Nothing._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) No. Dad. No. For once in your life, WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME?!

_He throws Jaune off of him, SWATTING him to the floor. Icy stillness. Jaune stares back, stunned._

JOHN: You've thrown your lot in with them. You're not a Viking. You're not my son.

_John pushes through the door, leaving Jaune alone, devastated._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Ready the ships!

_John staggers on the steps, breaking inside._


	15. Chapter 15

EXT. DOCKS/OPEN SEA - DAY

_Broken-down catapults and trebuchets are bundled up and lowered from the cliffs. Below on the docks, Vikings load the heavy artillery into the hulls of awaiting ships. Children and the elderly gather to on the walkways to wave apprehensive farewells to the departing warriors._

_Lastly, Toothless is loaded aboard John's ship, chained down to a palette, muzzled, and restrained with a weighty neck ring._

_He looks exhausted, miserable. John crosses to the bow as the ship pushes off and joins the amassed armada of ships adrift in the harbor.John's brow is furrowed, all warmth drained away. He turns west and glares at the horizon with cold determination._

JOHN: Set sail! We head for Helheim's Gate.

_He then notices JAUNE: watching from his familiar cliff-side perch beyond the village. Their eyes meet, full of hurt and regret. Jaune slowly shakes his head in warning. John breaks the stare and turns to Toothless, fuming._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Lead us home, Devil.

_ON JAUNE: Watching. He's powerless to stop what is happening, but won't leave._

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. CLIFFS - LATER ON

_JAUNE: Still standing there. The ships have cleared the horizon. CRANE UP to reveal Pyrrha is standing behind him. She approaches cautiously and stands beside him in silence._

PYRRHA: It's a mess.

_Jaune doesn't respond._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) You must feel horrible. You've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend.

JAUNE: Thank you for summing that up.

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods. It would have been better for everyone.

PYRRHA: Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you?

_Jaune just shakes his head - he really doesn't know. Pyrrha's eyes glimmer. She wants something._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Why didn't you?

JAUNE: I don't know. I couldn't.

PYRRHA: That's not an answer.

JAUNE: (BECOMING IRATE) Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?

PYRRHA: Because I want to remember what you say right now.

JAUNE: (angry, loud) Oh for the love of - I was a coward! I was weak. I wouldn't kill a dragon.

PYRRHA: You said 'wouldn't' that time.

JAUNE: (BLOWS UP) Whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred years and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!

PYRRHA: First to ride one, though.

_Jaune blinks. He never looked at it that way before._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) So...

JAUNE: (REALIZING) ...I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him and I saw myself.

_Pyrrha turns to face the open sea._

PYRRHA: I bet he's really frightened now. (PROVOKING) What are you going to do about it?

JAUNE: Probably something stupid.

PYRRHA: Good. But you've already done that.

_Another beat._

JAUNE: Then something crazy.

_Pyrrha smiles._

PYRRHA: That's more like it.


	16. Chapter 16

EXT. OPEN SEA/DRAGON ISLAND - DAY

_The armada coasts toward a shroud of heavy fog, hung like drapes from a low-hanging, ominous sky. The ships enter, one by one. Visibility drops immediately. Flanking ships becomes ghosts. The armada disappears, drawn into the blinding mist. Complete whiteout. Nothing remains but the eerie creaking of wood on water. ON JOHN: at the bow of his ship. He taps his fingers on the gunwale, then looks back at Toothless impatiently. Weighed down with chains, Toothless seems unresponsive._

JOHN: Sound your positions. Stay within earshot.

_Shouts pour in from all directions._

VIKING #1 Here.

VIKING #2 One length to your stern.

VIKING #3 On your starboard flank.

VIKING #4 Three widths to port.

VIKING #5 Ahead, at your bow.

VIKING #6 Haven't a clue.

_ON JOHN: straining into the fog as the calls continue. Massive, jagged sea stacks begin to emerge, threatening to rip the ships to shreds. SUN: approaches him, speaking under his breath._

OZPIN: Listen... John... I was overhearing some of the men just now and, well, some of them are wondering what it is we're up to here - not me of course, I know you're always the man with the plan - but some, not me, are wondering if there is in fact a plan at all, what it might be?

JOHN: Find the nest and take it.

OZPIN: Ah. Of course. Send them running. The old Viking fall-back. Nice and simple.

"Because thats really going to work." Mutters Noranut.

JOHN: Shhh.

_John notices that Toothless' ear plates are at the alert, quietly reacting to inaudible sounds. John crosses to the stern of the ship and grabs the tiller, moving the helmsman out of the way._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Step aside.

_John pulls the ship into a turn, covertly following Toothless' head movements._

_The ship barely misses a jagged outcrop that suddenly appears out of the soupy fog. VIKING Bear to port. The order is called out from ship to ship. CRUNCH! The bow barely makes it past another sea stack. John continues to follow Toothless' cues, undeterred._

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY _Jaune raises the bolt on the Monstrous Nightmare's pen._

REN: (O.S.) If you're planning on getting eaten, I'd definitely go with the Gronckle.

_Jaune turns to see his fellow recruits, watching him with folded arms. Sun steps forward with a scowl._

SUN: You were wise to seek help from the world's most deadly weapon. (BEAT) It's me.

JAUNE: Uh...

CARDIN: I love this plan.

JAUNE: I didn't...

NORA: You're crazy. (SULTRY) I like that.

PYRRHA: So? What is the plan?

_Jaune smiles, glowing in the support of his friends._

EXT. FOGGY SEA - DAY _The ships follow in line through the gauntlet of rocks as orders are whispered from ship to ship. A dragon head looms out of the fog. The men recoil... only to discover that it's a wrecked ship, impaled high on a gnarled sea stack._

OZPIN: Ah. I was wondering where that went.

_A clicking buzz becomes audible, growing louder. It fills the sky, converging in one general direction. John sniffs the air._

JOHN: Stay low and ready your weapons.

_John's ship suddenly JERKS to a halt as the keel burrows into shallow black sand. John hops overboard, landing on a sprawling beach. The BUZZING suddenly STOPS. Above him, a craggy volcano towers into the gloom._

JOHN: (CONT'D) We're here.

_Behind him, several dragon-headed bows pierce the fog._


	17. Chapter 17

EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - RING - DAY

_Jaune steps back from the door, drawing the Monstrous Nightmare out of its cave. It snorts, stepping into the ring, calmed by Jaune's outstretched hand - focused on him. ON THE TEENS... bewildered, in awe. Cardin nervously reaches for a spear laying near his foot._

_Pyrrha stops him._

PYRRHA: (CORRECTING) Uh-uh.

_Jaune slows to a stop in front of the teens, with the Nightmare inches from his outstretched hand. He reaches over and grabs Cardin's trembling hand._

CARDIN: Wait! What are you...

JAUNE: Relax. It's okay... it's okay.

_Jaune replaces his outstretched hand with Cardin's, putting him in control of the massive beast. The Nightmare snorts, but remains calm. Cardin, by contrast, chuckles nervously - it's at once terrifying and amazing._

_The others watch, spellbound. Jaune turns and walks away._

CARDIN: Where are you going?!

_Jaune pulls a bundle of rope from a supply box._

JAUNE: You're going to need something to help you hold on.

_The teens eye each other apprehensively, and look up to reveal... ALL THE DRAGONS standing in the ring, facing the teens expectantly._

EXT. DRAGON ISLAND - DAY CLOSE ON

_Tree trunks, being sharpened and planted into the sand at angled rows. Boulders being loaded into catapult baskets. And a war plan being scratched in the sand. JOHN: looms over it, looking determined. His generals are at his sides._

JOHN: When we crack this mountain open, all hell is going to break loose.

OZPIN: In my undies. Good thing I brought extras.

_John TURNS to face the men._

JOHN: No matter how this ends, it ends today.

_He walks toward the base of the volcano wall, back by several hundred warriors. He raises his arm and drops it. A line of catapults UNLEASH their two-ton loads into the cliff wall. It cracks and flakes away. Several more hits tear away at the hollow shell of hardened lava. A final boulder shatters the fractured wall, creating a deep, dark opening to the cavern within. Silence. Stock raises his hand, makes a gesture. A flaming bushel is launched into the dark, lighting the wall... CHOKED WITH DRAGONS. John pulls his hammer and rushes into the cave, brazen._

JOHN: (CONT'D) (War cries and slashing efforts)

 _In a chaotic flurry, the dragons suddenly rush out like bats from a cave. The take to the air, bypassing the axe-swinging Vikings and fleeing the island in a mass exodus. The battle-ready Vikings drop their weapons, confused_.

OZPIN: Is that it?

_Above the island, dragons POUR from every crevice, fleeing to the sky. The sound of screeching dragons fades._

VIKINGS (Cheering as one)

SPITELOUT We've done it!

_John doesn't celebrate. Something is not right. He HEARS something. John turns to peer down the dark throat of the cavern. A deep, rumbling ROAR echoes from the cavern. The ground underfoot TREMBLES. The ships rock. Their sails fill with a blast of air. The cheering stops. John's expression sinks._

JOHN: This isn't over. Form your ranks! Hold together!

_The men SCRAMBLE to organize themselves._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Get clear!

_The ground CRACKS. Stone tears away, cascading like an avalanche. And through the settling debris, the silhouette of a gargantuan dragon emerges - THE RED DEATH. Stirred and furious._

OZPIN: Beard of Thor...what is that?

JOHN: (AGHAST) Odin help us. Catapults!

_The Vikings score direct hits. The burning stones BOUNCE off the dragon's skin._

_The Red Death focuses on the catapults. It crushes the first one - smashing it and its crew, rattling the beach underfoot. John races toward the second catapult. He LEAPS and pushes a Viking out of the way just before the dragon crushes him under his forepaw. The Vikings scramble in all directions._

VIKING #3 Get to the ships!

JOHN: No! NO!

_The Red Death BLASTS the ships like a mile-long flamethrower. The sails are torched._

_Vikings dive overboard and masts come down. Ozpin Joins John._

OZPIN: Heh. Smart, that one.

_John looks up and down the beach for an answer._

JOHN: (GUILT-RIDDEN) I was a fool.

_The monster raises its head to the sky and BELLOWS. The sound SHAKES the beach, knocking Vikings off their feet. This island is his. John stops a Viking General._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Lead the men to the far side of the island.

SPITELOUT Right. (turns to the others) Everybody to the far side of the island!

_The Vikings scatter into the rocks like ants. Satisfied with the ships destruction, The Red Death turns its attention back to the Vikings. They seem to have vanished. It SNIFFS the air, searching for their scent. Ozpin drops in beside John, like two soldiers in a trench. Fire blasts over head, causing them to duck._

JOHN: Ozpin, go with the men.

OZPIN: I think I'll stay, just in case you're thinking of doing something crazy.

_John grabs him._

JOHN: (EMPHATIC) I can buy them a few minutes if I give that thing someone to hunt.

Ozpin removes John's hand. Clenches his forearm, determined.

OZPIN: Then I can double that time.

_John grins. Friends to the bitter end. They BREAK COVER and dash into the open, SPLITTING UP. John rips a sharpened post from the ground and hurls it into the monster's face._

JOHN: HERE!

OZPIN: NO, HERE!

_It spots both of them. He fuels up to fire, glancing back and forth between the two men. He focuses on John._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) Come on! Fight me!

JOHN: No, me!

_The Red Death remains focused on John - this is it. It rears back and inhales. Gas begins to amass, when... KABLAM! A BLAST explodes against the back of The Red Death's head. It turns distracted, as... ... a Nadder punches through the flames, banking across the sky. Followed by a Monstrous Nightmare, a Zippleback, and a Gronckle. They roll in unison, revealing the recruits riding on their backs. Jaune leads, with Pyrrha clinging to hiswaist. OZPIN: AND JOHN:, watch slack-jawed, in awe._


	18. Chapter 18

JAUNE: Nora, Sun, watch your backs! Move Ren!

_The monster shakes off the blast and snaps in their wake. Jaune directs his squadron out of harm's way. They climb out of reach and circle each other._

SUN: Look at us, we're on a dragon! We're on dragons, all of us!

JAUNE: Up, let's move it!

_The dragons climb past the Red Death._

_ON THE GROUND Ozpin hobbles over to John._

OZPIN: Every bit the boar-headed, stubborn Viking you ever were.

_John smiles and nods his head._

_IN THE AIR The group circles over the dragon's head._

JAUNE: Ren, break it down.

REN: Okay. Heavily armored skull and tail made for bashing and crushing- Steer clear of both. Small eyes, large nostrils. Relies on hearing and smell.

JAUNE: Okay. Lout, Legs, hang in its blind spot. Make some noise, keep it confused. Nora, Sun, find out if it has a shot limit. Make it mad.

NORA: That's my specialty.

SUN: Since when? Everyone knows I'm more irritating. See. (IRRITATING SOUNDS)

JAUNE: (EXASPERATED) Just do what I told you. I'll be back as soon as I can.

SUN: Don't worry, we got it covered!

REN: Yeah!

_Jaune and Pyrrha peel away. The teens bank and dive toward the monster, splitting up. The Twins race alongside the monster's head, taunting it._

SUN: Troll!

NORA: Butt Elf!

SUN: Bride of Grendel!

_The Red Death unloads a spray of fire at the twins. They barely dodge it. Ren and Cardin hang behind its eyes, banging away at their shields, making a racket. The Red Death opens all SIX of its eyes, spotting them._

REN: Uh, this thing doesn't have a blind spot.

_ON JAUNE: AND PYRRHA: ... searching for Toothless. Jaune spots him among the burning ships._

JAUNE: There!

_He steers the Nadder over the deck and hands Pyrrha the reins. He lines up his jump... and hops off, guarding his face from the flames. He lands on the burning deck._

JAUNE: (CONT'D)Go help the others!

_She and the Nadder take off. As Jaune fights his way to Toothless._

_He unbuckles the muzzle. Toothless shrieks._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay, hold on. Hold on.

_He gets to work on the chains._

_ON CARDIN: AND REN: They clang their weapons against their shields, making the monster wince._

CARDIN: It's working.

_The huge beast starts to sway its head dizzily._

REN: Yeah! It's working.

_PAN DOWN to reveal that the noise is also confusing the Gronckle and the Monstrous Nightmare. Both dragons lose their bearings. The Red Death thrashes, knocking Cardin off of his dragon and onto the monster's gigantic head. Cardin bounces across the top and comes to a stop just shy of the hundred foot drop._

CARDIN: Agghh!

_Ren' Gronckle goes down in a spin of confusion._

REN: I've lost power on the Gronckle

REN: Cardin! Do something!

_He hurls Cardin his hammer. The Gronkle crashes and skids to a stop..._

REN: (CONT'D) I'm okay!

_... then flips over, crushing Ren._

REN: (CONT'D) (FEEBLE) Less okay.

_BACK TO CARDIN: ... who eyes the Red Death's gigantic, veiny eyes. He raises the hammer..._

CARDIN: I can't miss

_... and hammers the monster's eyes, playing whack-a-mole._

CARDIN: (CONT'D) What's wrong buddy, got something in your eye?

_Pyrrha flies by on her Nadder, catching Cardin in all his heroics._

PYRRHA: Yeah! You're the Viking!

_Cardin grins, finally vindicated in her eyes. In his distraction, he gets thrown and lands heavily on one of the Red Death's spines - clinging precariously. A close call._

CARDIN: Whoa!

_ON THE GROUND The monster's tail sweeps across the burning ships, snapping masts like twigs. We follow one down as it crashes onto a deck, revealing... JAUNE: Working at the chains. He can't budge them. Fire licks at his clothes._

_He looks up to see...THE RED DEATH blasting at the teens, enraged. The monster's giant foot crashes through frame, smashing the bow under its impressive weight. Jaune and Toothless are thrown into the water in a maelstrom of burning planks and rigging._

_UNDERWATER Jaune swims toward Toothless. They're both caught in a mess of rigging, being dragged down. The heavy palette settles into the rocky bottom like an anchor. Toothless has stopped struggling. Jaune takes one more hopeless tug at the chains - he's almost out of air._

_Suddenly, a meaty hand grabs Jaune._

_John explodes to the surface, pulling Jaune to the shoreline through flaming debris. He lays him down, under the shelter of an overhanging rock._

JAUNE: (OVERWHELMED) Dad...

_John dives back into the water between flaming flotsam._

_UNDERWATER ON TOOTHLESS, drowning. John appears in front of him. Toothless freezes. John tears the chains off of the yoke and lets it float free._

_Momentary stillness. They eye each other, through the churned up bubbles. Toothless lunges out of the bars - grabbing John. BOOM! In an explosion of sea water, Toothless lands on the shore, setting John down and releasing him. Jaune is awed. The ground rumbles underfoot. The monster screeches. Its massive claws stomp around in the smoke. John gives way as Toothless mounts the rock and raises his wings._

_He turns to Jaune and SNORTS - Let's go.'_

JAUNE: (CONT'D) You got it, bud.

_Jaune climbs onto Toothless and buckles himself in. John grabs his arm._

JOHN: Jaune. I'm sorry...for everything.

JAUNE: Yeah...me too.

JOHN: You don't have to go up there.

JAUNE: We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard.

_They exchange smiles._

JOHN: I'm proud to call you my son.

_Jaune beams, taken aback._

JAUNE: Thanks dad.

_John lets go of Jaune's arm. Jaune spurs Toothless on, charged with his father's belief in him. They rocket into the sky as John watches._

_IN THE AIR Pyrrha sees Toothless streaking through the sky, gaining altitude._

PYRRHA: He's up!

_She turns to Noranut and Sun, who are ARGUING and THROWING PUNCHES at each other._

PYRRHA: (CONT'D) Get Cardin out of there!

_IN MID-PUNCH, the twins look over to see Cardin stranded on the monster's head. They eye each other._

SUN: NORA: I'm on it! I'm on it!

SUN: I'm on it first! I'm ahead of you.

_The twins spot Cardin on the giant dragon and steer their Zippleback in his direction._

NORA: Hey! Let me drive!

_The twins peel off, ARGUING as they race each other to the monster. Cardin sees the Zippleback diving toward him and DASHES down the Red Death's head. He runs up the end of its horn... As the twins sweep past, both missing him... but perfectly snatching him where the necks merge. Nora and Sun eye each other, surprised and impressed._

SUN: I can't believe that worked.

_The Red Death spots Pyrrha and inhales, preparing to blast. She and her Nadder get caught in the suction, pulled toward the monster's gaping mouth._

_ON THE GROUND The Vikings watch with dread. They hear the familiar whir of the..._

OZPIN: Night Fury! Get down!

_IN THE AIR A massive BLAST jolts the Red Death's head sideways. Pyrrha is thrown clear of its mouth... AND her Nadder. She tumbles through the air. The ground races toward her, when... She's suddenly CAUGHT by the leg. She looks up to see Toothless._

JAUNE: Did you get her?

_Toothless croons and gives Pyrrha a gummy smile._

_ON THE GROUND They fly over the crowd of Vikings and set Pyrrha down, mid- run. They circle back to reengage - a black speck against the clouds._

PYRRHA: (BREATHLESS) Go.

_IN THE AIR Jaune and Toothless rocket past the Red Death's head and climb, higher and higher._

JAUNE: (TO TOOTHLESS) That thing has wings! Okay, let's see if it can use them!

_Jaune pulls Toothless into a turn. They plummet, gaining tremendous speed._

_The wind buffets them as they target the Red Death as super sonic speed. KABLAM! Toothless unloads a fireball against the Red Death's head. It goes down with a rumble as they climb anew._

_ON THE GROUND The Vikings shield themselves from the dust of the fallen monster... as its wings unfold and extend._

_IN THE AIR Jaune looks back as they put distance between them._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Do you think that did it?

_Suddenly, the enraged behemoth RISES into frame... flapping its wings furiously. A daunting sight._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Well, he can fly.

_Jaune and Toothless DIVE into the tangled sea stacks - they weave through the rock like rabbits through a briar. The Red Death SNAPS at them, but cannot reach them. Jaune and Toothless PULL AHEAD. The Red Death SMASHES through the canopy of rock and pulls in behind Toothless. He BURSTS THROUGH fifty-foot formations like they were saplings._

_ON THE GROUND John, Ozpin, and the Teens watch as Jaune and Toothless streak past, weaving through sea stacks._

TEENS Woohoo! Yeah!

_A moment later the Red Death SMASHES the sea stacks to dust in hot pursuit._

_The Vikings mood is quenched._

_IN THE AIR Jaune and Toothless can't slow the monster down. Jaune eyes the clouds above. An idea hits him. He locks eyes with Toothless._

JAUNE: Okay Toothless, time to disappear.

_Toothless PULLS into a steep climb, heading toward the clouds._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Come on bud!

_The Red Death follows, closing in fast._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (hearing the gas) Here it comes!

_BLAST! They narrowly dodge a column of flame and smoke. They reach the low-hanging clouds and pierce them. The monster follows, immediately losing them in the hampered visibility. It roars irritably. From out of nowhere, Toothless DIVES at the huge dragon, BLASTING and PUNCTURING a hole in its wing. Toothless and Jaune are gone again before the dragon can get a shot at them._

_ON THE GROUND The Vikings stare up at the sky listening to the resounding BOOMS and watching FLASHES light up the clouds. Ozpin places a hand on John's shoulder._

_IN THE AIR JAUNE: and TOOTHLESS dive in again and again, using the clouds to hide and surprise as they puncture the monster's wings. It BELLOWS in frustration and WHIRLS around, unleashing fire blindly, in all directions. Jaune sees the glow of fire cutting towards them._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Watch out!

_The random blast CLIPS Toothless' tail. It's heavily damaged._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay, time's up. Let's see if this works.

_He pulls Toothless into a turn. They fly directly into the Red Death's face, taunting it._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Come on! Is that the best you can do!?

_Toothless utters an insult too, and they jackknife into a steep dive. The Red Death pursues. Toothless PUMPS his wings, racing faster than he's ever gone before. Jaune and Toothless stay just ahead of the Red Death - no longer trying to evade it. Jaune glances back to check the tail - it's disintegrating._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Stay with me buddy. We're good. Just a little bit longer.

_The Red Death closes the gap. Jaune tucks in and holds Toothless steady - allowing the monster to set its sights on them. It narrows its eyes._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Hold, Toothless.

_The Red Death OPENS his mouth. The familiar gas HISS emanates from his throat - ignition is coming._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) NOW!

_Jaune HITS the PEDALS HARD as Toothless extends one wing. They PIVOT in place, hurtling directly into the Red Death's mouth. Toothless FIRES point blank down the monster's throat. Its amassing gas is ignited, BACKFIRING into the monster, erupting in a chain of blasts throughout its body.Jaune and Toothless BURST from the clouds, the Red Death hot on their tail, exploding from within. It glances forward and sees the ground rushing up. It throws open its wings, attempting to put on the brakes, but the punctured, damaged wings can't stop its momentum. As the Red Death chokes on the expanding fireball, he sees Toothless suddenly pull out of the dive, streaking up, past its head._

_The Red Death HITS the ground, head-first. It EXPLODES like the Hindenburg. Jaune and Toothless weave through the monster's massive backplates, wings, and flailing legs - a high-speed recall of the FREE FALL slalom run. The expanding fireball races toward them, about to swallow them.They manage to clear the obstacles. Jaune glances back. They're outrunning the fireball. He looks forward just in time to see the monster's massiveclub tail careening toward them. He tries to shift their direction. The last shreds of Toothless' tail tear away. Jaune's pedals go DEAD._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) No. No.

_Jaune and Toothless can't maneuver - they're dead in the air. The giant club tail CLIPS Toothless, TEARING Jaune from the harness and sending him tumbling against the backdrop of the fast-approaching fireball. Toothless STRUGGLES with all his might to reach the unconscious Jaune. But the fireball swallows them both._

_ON THE GROUND The Vikings watch in horror as Jaune and Toothless disappear into the boiling inferno._

_DISSOLVE TO: A whiteout of ash. And through it comes..._

JOHN: Jaune? Jaune!?

_John appears, searching desperately. Everything is scorched. Even the ground is smoking from the terrible heat._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Jaune!? Son!?

_Through the ash, John the motionless silhouette of Toothless._

JOHN: (CONT'D) (GRAVE) Jaune.

_He hurries to the dragon's side. Toothless is roughed up, but conscious. His scorched saddle, however, is vacant. John looks to the sky in despair. He buckles at the knees, overwhelmed by the loss._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Oh son...I did this...

_Pyrrha pushes through the crowd, her eyes welling up. Followed by Ozpin. They flank John as he kneels, slumped over. Behind them, a ring of Vikings form, keeping a respectful distance._

_As the dust and smoke clear, a ring of wild dragons can also be seen, gathering just behind and between the Vikings. Toothless stirs and groggily rolls his head toward John. Their eyes meet._

JOHN: (CONT'D) I'm so sorry...

_Toothless unfolds his wings, revealing Jaune, unconscious, clutched safely against his chest. John's eyes widen._

JOHN: (CONT'D) Jaune.

_He scoops Jaune into his arms. Listens to his heart. Bursts into relieved laughter._

JOHN: (CONT'D) He's alive! (TO TOOTHLESS) You brought him back alive!

_The crowd roars. Followed by the dragons. The Vikings look around to find themselves surrounded. John leans close to Toothless, meeting him eye to eye._

JOHN: (CONT'D) (PRIVATELY) Thank you... for saving my son.

_Ozpin looks Jaune up and down._

OZPIN: Well, you know... most of him.

_John glares back at him. Ozpin shrugs, redirecting his eyes toward..._


	19. Chapter 19

INT. JOHN:'S HOUSE - DAY

_CLOSE ON JAUNE:, asleep, his head on a pillow. Healing scars on his face show that maybe a week or two have passed. Toothless hovers over him, WHINING and GRUMBLING impatiently._

_Jaune stirs. Opens his eyes._

JAUNE: (GROGGY) Oh, hey Toothless.

_Toothless excitedly nuzzles and nudges Jaune._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay, okay! I'm happy to see you too, bud. Now just-

_Toothless steps on his groin, causing Jaune to sit BOLT UPRIGHT with a YELP._

_He looks around, confused. He's in his bed, moved beside the fire pit on the main floor of his house._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) I'm in my house.

(re: Toothless, leaning over him, excited) You're in my house.

_Toothless TEARS around the room, knocking things over, far too big for the space_

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Uh...does my dad know you're in here?!

_Toothless pauses at the foot of the bed, tongue wagging. He eyes the rafters... and LEAPS UP onto them, brimming with 'happy dog' energy._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) (DISTRESSED) Okay, okay - no Toothless! Aw, come on...

_Jaune shifts to get out of bed... then pauses... sensing that something is wrong. He peels back the covers slowly. What he sees startles, horrifies, and overwhelms him - all at once._

_ON THE BARE FLOOR His booted foot touches down. Followed by a mechanical prosthetic in place of his second leg._

_It's an ingenious spring-loaded replacement, made of wood and iron._

_Toothless lands by the bed and approaches calmly, sniffing the new leg. He raises his eyes to meet Jaune's, seemingly aware of what Jaune is going through. Jaune braces himself on the bedpost and tries to stand on it. He winces and stifles the pain..._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Okay...okay... ...

_but STUMBLES with the first step. Toothless catches Jaune's fall with his head... and slowly lifts him up, stabilizing him._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Thanks bud.

_Jaune leans on him like a crutch. They take a few steps together. Their missing parts form a poetic silhouette as they make their way toward the door. Jaune pries it open (as he did in the opening scene), revealing a MONSTROUS NIGHTMARE flapping outside the door. Jaune YELPS and slams the door closed. He turns to Toothless, alarmed._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Toothless? Stay here, bud.

_Jaune pauses... and cracks the door open again. He peeks outside, his eyes widening. He allows to door to swing open, revealing... ... the Monstrous Nightmare, carrying Cardin on its back._

CARDIN: Come on guys, get ready! Hold on tight! Here we go!

_A class of newbie dragon riders follow him through frame on a variety of dragons, pulling back the curtain on an amazing vista in which: Vikings and dragons mill about by the dozen, basking on the rooftops, weaving along the plaza. No one seems upset, there isn't a sword in sight. Under the framework of a MASSIVE BARN, a Nadder BLASTS fire onto a metal brace._

_It steps back to let a Viking hammer it into shape. Nearby, a Gronkle lands, carrying a tree trunk in his mouth. He shows a Viking what he's found. The Viking pats his head. Another Viking backs a Zippleback into a stall to check it for size. Jaune takes a step outside, finding John waiting for him on the step._

JAUNE: I knew it. I'm dead.

_John laughs._

JOHN: No, but you gave it your best shot.

_He puts his arm around Jaune, steadying him. He gestures to the transformed village._

JOHN: (CONT'D) So? What do you think?

_Jaune just shrugs, amazed. Below, the plaza, villagers take notice._

VIKING #1 Hey look! It's Jaune!

_They rush over, surrounding him with a hero's welcome._

VIKING #2 Jaune, how you doin' mate?

VIKING #3 It's great to see you up and about.

JOHN: (SWEETLY) Turns out all we needed was a little more of... (GESTURES NON-SPECIFICALLY AT JAUNE:) ... this.

JAUNE: (PLAYING ALONG) You just gestured to all of me.

OZPIN: Well. Most of you.

_Ozpin pushes through the crowd, beaming proudly._

OZPIN: (CONT'D) (re: the prosthetic leg) That bit's my handiwork. With a little Jaune flare thrown in. Think it'll do?

JAUNE: (bittersweet, coming to TERMS) I might make a few tweaks.

_The Vikings all laugh as Pyrrha appears and jabs Jaune in the arm. Jaune recoils with a grumble._

PYRRHA: That's for scaring me.

JAUNE: (PROTESTING) What, is it always going to be this way? Cause I...

_She grabs him aggressively..._

_then kisses him. Hoots and hollers follow._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) ... could get used to it.

_Ozpin presents Jaune with a rebuilt saddle, rigging, and tail._

OZPIN: Welcome home.

_Suddenly, Toothless pounces on the crowd, crushing several unsuspecting Vikings under his weight._

VIKING Night Fury, get down!

_Toothless eyes the new tail excitedly, tongue wagging. Amidst the groans and grumbles, Jaune and Pyrrha exchange a sheepish grin._

_CLOSE ON CLOSE ON Jaune's prosthetic foot, snapping into the modified stirrup._

_The two pieces click together, forming a single shape. With Toothless, he's whole again. He rotates the pedal. The new tail opens. Bright red with a skull and Viking horns emblazoned on it. Jaune approves._

_CUT BACK TO REVEAL... Jaune and Toothless, saddled up and ready to fly. Pyrrha backs her Nadder into position._

JAUNE: (TO TOOTHLESS) You ready?

_Toothless SNORTS an excited 'yes!' From his mount, Jaune looks out over the changed world._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) This... is Berk. (BEAT) It snows nine months of the year... and hails the other three.

_They LEAP into the bright blue sky, together as one. Pyrrha follows, giving chase._

JAUNE: (CONT'D) Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so.

_Jaune and Pyrrha race their dragons through the village - under eaves, over rooftops, down cliff-sides, and between ship masts. It's a high energy, romantic dance of sorts._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) The only upsides are the pets. While other places have...ponies or parrots, we have...

_Their fellow recruits join them as they take to the open sky, rocketing far above the village. The Northern sky swirls with blazing, multicolored dragons. Jaune and Toothless break from the pack, spinning into the blinding sun._

JAUNE: (V.O.) (CONT'D) (PROUDLY) ... dragons.

_Fade to White._


End file.
